The King’s Park, Stirling, is the oldest and best-preserved Royal Park in Scotland. It surrounds Stirling Castle in the ancient capital of Scotland. The town played a significant role in the Wars of Independence against England as William Wallace and Robert the Bruce achieved their most famous victories at the Battle of Stirling Bridge and the Battle of Bannockburn here. The Castle is one of Scotland’s best-preserved and most important stone fortresses, and served as both a royal residence and a strategic stronghold. It protected the infant Mary, Queen of Scots, and her mother, Marie de Guise, during Henry VIII’s “Rough Wooing,” and was where Mary spent her infancy and was crowned in 1542.
Work will focus on continued excavation of the hillfort where you’ll assist in exposing the road and the search for a gate. You’ll also work to excavate two burial mounds at a previously unknown Roman Iron Age burial site.
As the site is excavated, will bring a deeper understanding to Late Prehistoric settlement patterns and how the native people interacted with the Roman conquest.
By joining archaeological work at King’s Park you’ll gain both theoretical knowledge and hands-on skills with a mix of traditional and modern archaeological techniques. Participants work alongside experts, directly contributing to meaningful discoveries while fostering a shared appreciation for Scotland’s archaeological treasures.
Everyone is welcome, no previous knowledge or experience is required.
Daily schedule:
- Breakfast is included at the hotel
- You’ll be met at your hotel by a member of the dig team and take the 15 minute walk to the site for a 9am start time
- 9am on site for a briefing and to begin work
- Coffee breaks included
- The group breaks for packed lunch together, You’ll be bringing your own lunches and snacks.
- 4pm daily fieldwork ends with a review of your daily finds
You will be trained in the techniques of excavation, including:
Hands-on Fieldwork Training
Stratigraphy training
Archaeological Planning, Reporting and Documentation
Heritage Conservation Initiatives
All artifacts will be analysed by the National Museum of Scotland then processed through the Scottish Treasure Trove system for deposition in a local museum.
The nature of excavation requires participants to be physically independent, with the ability to carry a backpack with a water bottle, and sit, kneel, crouch, and lay on the ground for extended periods of time in hot outdoor conditions. The activity will also include standing and walking for extended periods of time in primitive outdoor conditions. There are toilets on-site.
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