The Scottish Urban Archaeological Trust

Ltd. A private company limited by shares is a class of private limited company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, certain Commonwealth countries, and the Republic of Ireland. It has shareholders with limit ...

(abbreviated SUAT) is an

archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

company. It was formed in 1982,Scottish Urban Archaeological Trust Limited
– Endole] replacing the Urban Archaeology Unit, itself established four years earlier. Based in Perth, Scotland, Perth, Scotland, the Trust operates the monitoring and excavation of redevelopment in Scotland's medieval

burgh A burgh is an autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland and Northern England, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burg ...

s.1.5 The History of research
– Scottish Archaeological Research Framework

Background

In the early days of the Trust's existence, large parts of its work was funded through a combination of

Manpower Services Commission The Manpower Services Commission (MSC) was a non-departmental public body of the Department of Employment Group in the United Kingdom created by Edward Heath's Conservative Government in 1973. The MSC had a remit to co-ordinate employment and tr ...

schemes and funding from SDD Ancient Monuments. After

local authorities Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...

were reorganised in the 1990s, including the appointment of local-authority archaeologists, the funding for the monitoring project was brought to an end. SUAT shifted its work to concentrate on developed-funded archaeology, along with undertaking funded research projects from

Historic Scotland Historic Scotland ( gd, Alba Aosmhor) was an executive agency of the Scottish Office and later the Scottish Government from 1991 to 2015, responsible for safeguarding Scotland's built heritage, and promoting its understanding and enjoyment. ...

's (now

Historic Environment Scotland Historic Environment Scotland (HES) ( gd, Àrainneachd Eachdraidheil Alba) is an executive non-departmental public body responsible for investigating, caring for and promoting Scotland's historic environment. HES was formed in 2015 from the mer ...

) archaeology programme.

Projects

In 1997, when proposals were made to dismantle and rebuild the eastern wall of Perth, Scotland, Perth's

Greyfriars Burial Ground Greyfriars Burial Ground is an historic cemetery in Perth, Scotland, dating to 1580. It is now Category A listed. It occupies the former location of the Greyfriars Monastery, founded by Laurence Oliphant, 1st Lord Oliphant, in 1496 and destroy ...

, two test pits were dug by the Trust. One of the pits found what is believed to be the original monastery wall foundations. A "succession of wall foundations" hinted at several wall replacement and repair efforts undertaken during the monastery's lifespan, each raising the ground level.

Medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

pottery was also discovered, likely associated with the soil of lower garden abutting the original monastery wall. The other pit demonstrated a lack of a progression of wall foundations, confirming that that area was inside the 1795 graveyard extension and outside the original monastery grounds. The second pit also showed signs of

infill In urban planning, infill, or in-fill, is the rededication of land in an urban environment, usually open-space, to new construction. Infill also applies, within an urban polity, to construction on any undeveloped land that is not on the urban mar ...

ing or levelling layers, possibly from when a

burn A burn is an injury to skin, or other tissues, caused by heat, cold, electricity, chemicals, friction, or ultraviolet radiation (like sunburn). Most burns are due to heat from hot liquids (called scalding), solids, or fire. Burns occur mainl ...

, which ran along the burial ground's southern wall, was covered with soil."Perth, Canal Street, Greyfriars Burial Ground"
– Canmore

Publications

*''Perth: The Archaeology of the Medieval Town'' (1984)

References

External links

Scottish Urban Archaeological Trust Ltd
– Archaeology Data Service {{DEFAULTSORT:Scottish Urban Archaeological Trust Companies of Scotland 1982 establishments in Scotland Organizations established in 1982 Archaeological organizations Organisations based in Perth, Scotland