MessageToEagle.com – Remnants of a medieval village and a collection of mediaeval coins believed to date from the 10th or 11th Century, have been uncovered by archaeologists, due to construction works in central Scotland.
Archaeologists believe that this discovery could finally help to identify the location of the lost village of Cadzow.
“This dig has unearthed two medieval structures, nine mediaeval coins, gaming pieces, shards of pottery and a lead pistol shot, possibly from the Battle of Bothwell Bridge (1679) – collectively, they provide a rare insight into life in Scotland in the Middle Ages,” Keith Brown, Minister for Infrastructure, Investments and Cities said in a press release.
The discovery is also particularly important because archaeologists did not expect to find any archaeological evidence of medieval settlements in such a busy nineteenth-century industrial area.
“We’ve been on site for 18 months now and this is the most significant discovery to date. Medieval remains rarely survive in industrial centers such as Glasgow due to widespread industrialization of the nineteenth century, including mining, road and housing construction,” Warren Bailie, Project Manager for Guard Archaeology Ltd., who oversaw the excavation and recorded the finds, explained.
The excavations’ site two medieval structures lie adjacent to a memorial stone, which marks the former position of the 1000 year-old Netherton Cross, which may provide a clue as to why the area has survived undisturbed until now.
It is also possible that one or other of these buildings may have had some religious connection, although further analysis of the artefacts may shed some light on this, according to Mr Kevin Mooney, Project Director for the excavation.
A total of 400 pieces have been unearthed, including 240 fragments of pottery dating back to the 14th century, fragments of animal bone, clay smoking-pipe fragments and nine medieval coins.
“We’ve also discovered two gaming pieces, one carved of stone and the other a circle of green-glazed medieval pottery, which could have been used in a mediaeval game of some sort. This provides us with an all too rare glimpse into the past, shedding light on the mediaeval beginnings of Hamilton,” Mr Mooney said.
The team also found a lead pistol shot in the floor of one of the structures, possible evidence that an officer involved in the Battle of Bothwell Bridge (1679) may have taken cover in the, then ruins, of the buildings at Netherton.
The remnants of the structures and the contents have been photographed, recorded and were deemed to be of sufficient importance to report to Historic Environment Scotland.
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