Conferences

EAA Conference Krakow, 19th– 24th September

Derek Hall attended this year’s European (EAA) conference in Poland, leading the round table discussion on the Ceramic Production Centres in Europe project. He was sponsored by Historic Scotland and the Hunter Archaeological Trust.

Norwegian Delegation Visit to Perth

A group of heritage officers from Rogaland Council, the third largest urban area in Norway, visited Perth in April. They were given a guided tour of Kinnoull graveyard by Andrew Driver and a lecture on Perth’s archaeology by Derek Hall, who lost no opportunity in telling them of his wish for some Norwegian shellyware samples for his current research.

Post-Medieval Conference, Livorno, Italy

Derek Hall was invited to give a short presentation on the Ceramic Production Centres in Europe project at the 40th anniversary conference of the Society for Post Medieval Archaeology in Livorno, Italy at the end of May.

This was an interesting if challenging conference; some papers were only in Italian, but the Scots were strongly represented in the British contingent and their papers were well received. Historic Scotland made a grant towards travel and accommodation costs.

Conference venue, Livorno

MPRG Conference, Chester

Derek Hall gave a paper at this year’s annual MPRG conference in Chester in June called ‘A world of difference? Form and function in Scotland’s medieval hospitals and religious houses’.

Archaeological Research in Progress Conference 

This year’s ARP conference was held in Dewar’s Rinks in April. David Bowler gave a paper on work around St John’s Kirk, excavations in the Skinnergate, and other recent work in Perth. SUAT’s contribution also included hosting the bookstall on behalf of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and TAFAC.

Tayside and Fife Archaeological Committee Annual Conference

This year’s TAFAC conference also took place in Dewar’s Rinks on 4th November. Derek Hall gave a presentation based on his paper ‘What’s Cooking’, published in PSAS, on the vexed question of the dating of shellyware pottery. By submitting organic samples from shellyware cooking pots to C¹⁴ analysis, a date range of 1020-1030 AD has been obtained for this fabric, rather earlier than that proposed by ceramics specialists working in London. The shellyware from Perth has important implications for the dating of features at Perth High Street (PHSAE).

SUAT were also on hand to sell books, again on behalf of TAFAC, the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, Perthshire Society of Natural Sciences, Abertay Historical Society and the Friends of Dundee Archives. This year, TAFAC’s journal, Volume 12, was successfully printed and delivered several weeks early by Farquhar’s of Perth.