History Scotland Magazine

Vol. 4 No. 6 November/December 2004

Contents

Roxburgh: Uncovering Scotlands Lost Royal Burgh
Colin Martin and Richard Oram

An in-depth look at the rise and decline of Roxburgh - a thriving burgh in its economic heyday, bustling with all the activity of trade and manufacture and dominated by the walls and towers of one of the chief fortresses of the kingdom. Seven hundred years ago it was a centre of royal government, a focus of Church power, and a base for international trade, it knew few rivals in Scotland. Today the observant might notice the steeply scarped bank of the castle earthworks and the few stumps of masonry which survive along their crest, but it takes a practiced archaeologists eye to pick out the ephemeral traces of the burgh the plough-blurred bank of its rampart, or the broad, shallow trench of the fosse.

Not a single modern structure stands on Roxburgh, and the site is not threatened by development or erosion. An untouched and complete medieval town on this scale is probably unique in Europe, and the whole area of the burgh is a Scheduled Monument. Besides delving into the history of Roxburgh the article also charts the progress in different excavation projects including those carried out by Channel 4s Time Team.

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THE SCOTTISH MERCAT CROSS: An historic burgh icon
Lindsey J Thomson

In-depth look at Scottish Market Crosses. The market cross was essentially the symbol of a burghs right to trade. Items were bought and sold in the marketplace around the cross. Some burghs are even recorded as having more than one market cross, used for demarcating areas of trade for different produce. The market cross was also used as a point from which public announcements were made, including royal and burghal edicts, celebrations, and humiliating or grizzly punishments being carried out at the market cross. Victims were flogged, branded, burned, hanged, or placed in the stocks, branks or jougs at the cross.

While market crosses are also found in other parts of Britain, the Scottish examples form a distinct group due to their architectural composition, style and iconography. Little research into this monument type has been undertaken in modern times until work by the present author. In this article, Lindsey Thomson provides information and interpretation on their architecture, iconography, use, distribution, origins, survival and preservation, and also the interesting histories recorded in association with many of the crosses.

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ye toun salbe wallit & stankeit about, with ane substantious wall :
Mural ideology in 16th century Edinburgh and southern Scotland?

Colin Wallace, John A Lawson and David Reed

The authors take the opportunity provided by some recent archaeological work on an urban Scheduled Ancient Monument, the Flodden Wall in Edinburgh, to review the background to the late medieval/early post-medieval town walls found in southern Scotland.

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Lifes Rich Tapestry: Excavating the Kilbarchan Weavers

Derek Alexander, Tom Addyman and Julie Roberts

Kilbarchan in Renfrewshire, like many Scottish villages, has a long history but has until recently avoided the attention of archaeologists. New discoveries at the Weavers Cottage and in the local graveyard have changed this dramatically. The Weavers Cottage, owned by The National Trust for Scotland, still houses a working handloom and experienced weavers still operate this, the last of the original looms in the village. The cottage is typical of many of the 18th-century buildings in the village, combining workshop area with living accommodation. The cottage is also a rare survival as it still retains the timber cruck-frame which would originally have supported a thatched roof.Despite this wealth of history, Kilbarchan is probably best known for its strong links with the handloom weaving industry. In the 1690s there were 30-40 weavers working in the village but by the 1790s this had reached 300-400.

The article takes a look at the history of Kilbarchan and describes the recent excavation and the many discoveries.

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Kirkcaldy in the later 17th Century - separating fact from fiction
Paula Martin

Paula Martin takes a fresh look at some commonly accepted notions and their original sources concerning the development of Kirkcaldy in the late 17th century. She warns that local historical sources, while often fascinating and illuminating in their detail, are not necessarily either accurate or objective, and the reader needs to be wary. In particular, she examines the claims that many ports in the Firth of Forth and beyond had been badly hit during the Civil Wars - by a combination of disruption to trade, loss of men in battle, and high taxation. Is this true? If not, was the chief source, a Minister of Kirkcaldy in 1795, making an innocent mistake, or a deliberate attempt to distort the facts?

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News features include:

Minehowe gives up more of its secrets.

Lastest news from excavations at Minehow, Orkney. Discovery of skeleton, and bronze toe rings and other artefacts during August.

Medieval Pots discovered in Kings College Chapel, Aberdeen

Focus on an Exhibition: One million Days in China - Sir William Burrells Collection of Chinese Art

Preserving Scotlands Maritime Heritage: A visit to the Buckie Drifter