From left to right: Tracy Brook, Calum Muir, Alison Sheridan of Archaeology Scotland, Maja Bergman and Thomas Macmillan.
The future of Scottish archaeology was in the spotlight at the 2025 Scottish Student Archaeology Society Conference in Edinburgh, where we had the honour of presenting the 2023-4 academic year Archaeology Scotland Student Awards. This collaborative conference, organised by the archaeology societies of Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen universities, provided the perfect setting to celebrate the outstanding achievements of students across Scotland.
Archaeology Scotland staff members enjoyed attending the conference, which took place over one jam-packed weekend (15th and 16th of February).
Saturday started with a warm welcome from this year’s hosts, the University of Edinburgh’s Archaeology Society President and Edinburgh Archaeology Department, followed by a day full of 10 talks showcasing fascinating and innovative research by students at universities across Scotland. The fun continued into the night at the conference ceilidh.
Sunday continued to energise and inspire with ‘Protecting our Past, Ensuring our Future: Climate Change & Archaeology’ panel, organised by Aberdeen University’s Archaeology Society. The four expert panellists shared invaluable experience, insight and research on the impacts of climate change on archaeology and the historic environment. The panel discussed resources, best practice and advice on how we can understand, communicate and address these challenges and opportunities as individuals and communities both within and outwith the heritage sector, all through the unique power of archaeology.
The conference closed with three highly anticipated events; firstly a charity raffle raising funds for Govan Old, arranged by Glasgow University Archaeology Society; then the conference award for best poster and presentation; and last (but by no means least!), Archaeology Scotland’s Student Awards.
It was fantastic to connect with students from universities across Scotland and learn more about their interests, research and aspirations, as well as how we can continue to support them. Archaeology Scotland attend this conference every year in our role as lead body delivering Aim 4 of Scotland’s Archaeology Strategy – Encouraging Greater Engagement, made possible by funding from Historic Environment Scotland.
2023-4 Student Award Winners
Undergraduate Prize Winner:
Maja Bergman (University of Edinburgh)
Dissertation: ‘The Ulva Cave shell midden: investigating the mollusc remains from a Mesolithic site in the Inner Hebrides’
Undergraduate Runner-up:
Tracy Brook (University of Aberdeen)
Dissertation: ‘The archaeology of whin mills in post-medieval northeast Scotland’
Postgraduate Prize Winner:
Calum Muir (University of Edinburgh)
Dissertation: ‘Crafts and kilns in sacred places: a study of the production zones associated with Scotland’s early medieval monastic sites’
Postgraduate Runner-up:
Thomas Macmillan (University of Aberdeen)
Dissertation: ‘From sediments to sequences: a sedaDNA metabarcoding approach in Mesolithic Rubha Port an t’Seilich’
A huge congratulations once again to all our winners! A special thank you to the Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen university archaeology societies for organising such a successful and inspiring conference. Thanks also to Alison Sheridan, Archaeology Scotland Vice President, for presenting the prizes, and to Former Trustee and President Beverley Ballin Smith for the photographs.
2025 Student Awards – Submissions Now Open!
Archaeology Scotland is delighted to announce that, thanks to generous anonymous donations, we are once again running our annual competition to recognise excellence in written work on Scottish archaeology. Now in its fifth year, the awards are open to students studying at Scottish universities during the 2024-25 academic year.
More information on the Awards and full details on submissions.