So today i went back to the Iron Age.

[Blackstar]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v307/threeblackstars/Crannog%20Trip%20Oct%2007/Frontofcrannog.jpg

The Scottish Crannog Centre in Perthshire is an experimental archaeology site. The crannog that it is modelled on is the Oakbank Crannog round the point from the one made.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v307/threeblackstars/Crannog%20Trip%20Oct%2007/View2.jpg
(Also an example of just how gorgeous Scotland is)

Inside the crannog was amazing, although it smelled really badly of damp wool and rotting vegetation from the bracken floor. The building took 3 years mainly due to the experimental nature of the site, finding the material and working out how it all went together. Also there is continuing repairs to the stucture as found on the main site.
Here are some of the Alder wood piles preserved by the peaty loch water of Loch Tay
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v307/threeblackstars/Crannog%20Trip%20Oct%2007/TimberPile1.jpg

Basically i've had a great day, watching reconstuctions of firemaking
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v307/threeblackstars/Crannog%20Trip%20Oct%2007/Firemaking8.jpg

Grain grinding
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v307/threeblackstars/Crannog%20Trip%20Oct%2007/Graingrinding.jpg

But i'll stop blinding you all with pictures, if anyone is interested there are more pictures http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v307/threeblackstars/Crannog%20Trip%20Oct%2007/

Feel free to ask me things, can't promise to know the answer but i'll try.

[Stan_Lite]

Photobucket wants a password :(

I love stuff like that - I'd love to go and see that sometime.

[Feek]

That's fantastic!

[Blackstar]

ah hold on i'll sort it

[Blackstar]

Guest password is paulac

[Stan_Lite]

Thank you :)

That's so cool.

[Fayshun]

Bronze Age > Iron Age

http://www.flagfen.com/

Although I've not been there ^^ for a few years. I want to take Josh there but he's a bit young yet.

[Blackstar]

Bronze Age > Iron Age

http://www.flagfen.com/

Although I've not been there ^^ for a few years. I want to take Josh there but he's a bit young yet.
Actually the iron age is far superior in a lot of ways but cool site anyway.:)

[Feek]

Were you ever able to see the series "Living in the past" (http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/583427/index.html) where they put a group of people into an Iron age environment and they lived like it for a year?

It was a long time ago but may have been a) repeated or b) made available to you digging type people.

It was fascinating, I remember it well.

[Blackstar]

Yeah i remember it, we were talking about it today actually. Mainly whilst we were watching Grant work the lathe, talking about how much slower the pace of life was back then when things could take days to do.

[Mat]

What else have they got there?

Is the whole thing based on that one building or is it like a small village?

[Blackstar]

It is one building, crannogs were singular dwellings which would hold an extended family of up to 25. However Loch Tay has about 18 crannogs (mostly submerged some above the surface). An interesting story is that of Spiy Island in the loch which was a crannog above the surface, when Queen Victoria got married she came to Loch Tay on her honeymoon and in oder for her to have a nice area to picnic the land owner planted trees and other plants on the crannog destroying the archaeology.
To give you some idea about the sheer number of these throughout Scotland, within 3 closely located lochs there are nearly 50 crannogs. There are 30,000 lochs in Scotland.
There isn't much else in the surrounding areas, it is in the middle of the country side suited them down to the ground though, plently of room to keep their sheep and cattle (they were awesome dairy farmers). Although finds such as jet beads and opium poppy seeds prove that they had trading links not only with NE England (where jet is common) but the continent.

[semi-pro waster]

Loch Tay is a lovely place to visit, I'm sure I've canoed round that Crannog before. Looks like a great day. :)

[Fayshun]

Actually the iron age is far superior in a lot of ways but cool site anyway.:)

Probably, but I've yet to experience the Iron Age. ;)

[Stelly]

COOOL! Will definately have a gander... thanks for the pics :)

Stelly