Archaeology "Rules" in the Scottish Borders

“Learning and discovering new things and fitting them together to create a picture of life in the past”

This is how one volunteer described the Twelve Towers of Rule project, run by Archaeology Scotland. It’s a pretty good definition of what archaeology is all about!

Twelve Towers of Rule has seen volunteers, schools, and community groups investigate medieval and post-medieval sites in the beautiful Rule Water near Jedburgh. The project name comes from an account of an English raid on this part of the Scottish Borders in September 1545, during which twelve sites were recorded as being burnt. It was a particularly volatile period in history and the raid was a retaliation following the Scots’ victory at the Battle of Ancrum Moor in February 1545.

What's it all about?

The Twelve Towers project aims to provide skills development for young people through archaeological digs, workshops and the Archaeology Scotland ‘Attainment through Archaeology’ courses. It was started in 2019 by the Campaign for the Scottish Borders National Park and their hard-working team.

Since then, the project has grown with funding from the UK Government and Scottish Borders Council. As well as exploring the history of the area and sharing stories with local people and visitors alike, the project delivers skills development for local people through excavation, survey and digital engagement. Specifically, it is supporting organisations, schools and youth support groups such as Works+ and BANG. It's also a chance to work with a range of marginalised groups such as veterans, refugees and asylum seekers.

Archaeology is a great way to engage with people and many transferable skills. On top of that, outdoor learning has benefits in building confidence, wellbeing, and health. So, the HES Archaeological Survey team were more than happy to get involved, sharing our survey skills and demonstrating how and when we use various types of equipment.

“This is a new skill I have learned”

So said one of the volunteers at the first site we were involved with at Fulton Tower, just south of Bedrule this April. Here, Hazel Blake and Nick Hannon worked with volunteers to carry out two types of geophysics survey.

Firstly, a gradiometer survey, which measures variation in the magnetic properties of soil and is good for identifying things like burning, was undertaken in the area to the south of the tower. Secondly, a resistivity survey, which can detect buried structures, was conducted in the area immediately surrounding the base of the tower.

According to one of the volunteers this was "An activity I would like to do again" and both surveys produced new information about the site. Alongside this a terrestrial laser scanner was used to document the standing masonry and the site was flown over by UAV – both providing an opportunity for James Hepher to share how this type of kit is used for understanding our past.

Raspberries and remains

The second site we excavated during May, was a later medieval defended farmstead on the northern slope of Bonchester Hill. Here the approach was ‘old school’, with Eve Boyle and Adam Welfare using a plane table and tapes to produce an interpretative drawing of the earthwork remains.

They highlighted the traditional skills of observing archaeological earthworks and depicting them on a plan which can be ‘read’ by others. After clearing away wild raspberries that had invaded the site – not a great thing to have to do – HES staff and volunteers produced a plan that shows the layout of the complex earthworks and remains of buildings.

We were surprised as careful observation teased out what may be the subtle remains of an earlier enclosure, perhaps even an Iron Age settlement! If this is the case it is a significant addition to our knowledge of the site and will inform future excavation – despite the prickly raspberries!

The special experience of learning together

Our Archaeological Survey staff were delighted to have played their part in supporting the project. Explaining things to others is a great way to think about what you do, plus we got a chance to revisit some skills we hadn't used in a while, such as trowelling on an excavation.

Archaeology Scotland Project Officer Kieran Manchip finds the area fascinating, and the project hugely rewarding:

“The Rule Water landscape is absolutely full of intriguing settlements, a place where you can get a really good picture of the past over time. All the volunteers enjoyed their experience and learning about surveying techniques from the HES survey team.?But what stands out most for me are the local groups we work with; seeing how positively people react to being involved in archaeology. The passion and interest they have is pretty special”.

The Twelve Towers of Rule is a great example of how archaeology is both fun and educational. A project like this connects communities past and present, deliversfor local people and expands what we know about our history.

Twelve Towers of Rule is funded by the UK Government's Shared Prosperity Fund and administered by Scottish Borders Council.?You can also find out more about the advice and resources we have available at HES to empower and support communities across Scotland by visiting the Communities pages on our website.