‘Can You Dig It’ is the Community Archaeology project of the Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership Scheme, jointly funded by Historic Environment Scotland and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. It has had a submission based on its ‘Lost Wells of Galloway’ project accepted at the prestigious Archaeological Research in Progress (ARP) conference 2021.
ARP is hosted by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and Archaeology Scotland, and this year is presenting 14 recorded talks covering several different aspects of Scottish archaeology, together with an opportunity to question the expert speakers. Can You Dig It’s submission on ‘A volunteer-led hunt for the Lost Wells of Galloway’ was accepted from a very competitive field and Claire Williamson, Senior Archaeologist at Rathmell Archaeology and Can You Dig It Project Manager will be presenting the topic.
Also of local interest is another talk in the session, ‘Understanding Scottish prehistoric carvings: The contribution of Scotland’s Rock Art Project’, which includes the contribution of the work of the Kirkcudbright branch of ScRAP.
The conference is on the 29th May, from 2 – 4:30pm and you can book your free ticket here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/archaeological-research-in-progress-conference-2021-live-qa-tickets-153945313577.
More details including the full talk line-up are available here: https://www.socantscot.org/event/archaeological-research-in-progress-conference-2021/.
Claire Williamson of Rathmell Archaeology said,
“It’s been amazing to see how the volunteers have embraced this project and brought their own styles to the research and reporting. The knowledge of these wells and their stories is at risk of being lost, and the insights that they give into past traditions and beliefs are worth holding on to. The volunteers have worked hard to bring them back to life and it’s great to have this chance to share some of their findings.”
Helen Keron of the Galloway Glens team said,
“Can You Dig It and the Lost Wells project really caught the imagination of the people of the Galloway Glens and beyond, and we are delighted to have the opportunity to share our learning about effective community engagement with a wider audience. Thanks very much to all our volunteers who researched with such enthusiasm, and don’t forget to book on to what should be a great event!”
The Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership Scheme is a suite of projects happening across the catchments of the rivers Ken and Dee from 2018 to 2023. £2.7million of core funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund will be matched by a variety of partners to bring over £5million of investment into the area over the 5 years. The area stretches from the uplands behind Carsphairn in the north, through the Glenkens, past Loch Ken, through Castle Douglas and out to the sea at Kirkcudbright. 35 headline projects plus more Small Grants projects all aim to connect people with their cultural, natural and built heritage, and to support sustainable modern rural communities. For more information about the scheme, visit www.gallowayglens.org.
Can You Dig It is the Galloway Glens’ Community Archaeology project. It will run from 2019 to late 2022. It is open to everyone who is interested in the archaeology of the area, either with prior skills and experience or just starting to find out about it all. There is a particular emphasis on encouraging participation for all and on exploring truly local stories. From more information, see https://gallowayglens.org/projects/community-archaeology-programme-can-you-dig-it/.
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