Mapping Dumfries and Galloway’s Past

University of Glasgow archaeologists are asking members of the public to help record and interpret the buried history of Dumfries and Galloway, in a new archaeological project. The 'Discovering Dumfries and Galloway's Past' project will train local people to undertake and interpret their own archaeological surveys in an attempt to build up a more detailed picture of the area's history. The project will allow members of the public to carry out their own surveys, understand and interpret their results, and share them with a wider audience on the project's website where they will be freely available for anyone to see and study. It is hoped that, by informing people how to conduct and analyse their own geophysical explorations, the team will be able to build up a more detailed picture of Dumfries and Galloway's archaeological past, revealing on existing archaeological sites as well as locating new ones. Geophysical surveys detect changes in the electrical resistance and magnetic fields caused by archaeological deposits under the ground, making it an ideal way to explore buried remains without having to excavate them. Known archaeological sites in the region include prehistoric monuments, Roman camps and forts, Medieval towerhouses and abbeys, right through to remains from the Second World War. The project is interested in exploring any site in the Dumfries and Galloway region, from well known locations to previously unexamined areas.