We had a brilliant time celebrating the end of our Energy Through Time learning project at Newbattle Abbey in Dalkeith, joined by participants, as well as funders and community members. We marked the end of the project, and launched our new physical hub for archaeological learning, joined by the funders and people who had worked so hard to bring it to life!
As it was a celebration, we had to have cake, which was of course archaeology themed… check out the tiny test pit and archaeologists! We were proud to share information about the project in the form of a fantastic learning banner that the participants had created during their Attainment through Archaeology project a few months earlier.
During the Energy through Time project, participants learned about the area’s fascinating history, from a prehistoric burial, the earliest coal mining in Scotland (by the monks and laymen living at Newbattle Abbey!), to the use of the Abbey as an adult education college which it remains today, and all of the fascinating heritage in-between.
Last summer’s pilot community excavation, the Big Dig, unearthed evidence from the college’s past as a training centre during World War II, as well as the National Coal Board buildings, which is where our archaeological learning hub is now based! You can read more about the community excavation on our blog:
The Big Dig: A community excavation with big aims, big finds and big impact! | Archaeology Scotland
With this interesting past visible as a building footprint in the present, participants enjoyed re-creating a (scaled-down!) building with miniature bricks and mortar. They brought the party together with bunting, by choosing and sharing photos of their work during the project, as well as photos of the hub during its construction.
We want to say a massive thank-you to every participant, partner and funder of the Energy Through Time project and the Archaeological Learning Hub. Together, we brought the past to life and we look forward to building on the success of these projects this year and in the coming years.
We want to thank the Swire Charitable Trust, ESES Communities and Heron Bros for helping us create the Archaeological Learning Hub, what a transformation!
Thank you to our Energy Through Time and Big Dig funders and supporters; Scottish Power Foundation, University of Edinburgh – Edinburgh Local, AOC Archaeology and Historic Environment Scotland.
What’s next for Energy Through Time?
We are thrilled at the reach of this project and want to build on this in the future. If you want to find out more about the project, you can read our blog:
And if you want to learn more about Energy Through Time in your local area or community, we have made a simple ‘how-to’ guide, as well as a presentation about how to introduce archaeology to your learners, with suggestions for digital websites, resources and more information:
Introducing Archaeology in the Classroom – Heritage Resources Portal
What’s next for the Archaeological Learning Hub?
Watch this space! We have plenty of delivery, events and projects lined up across Scotland, and we will be working with education and community partners to share our resources, as well as sharing wider opportunities to get involved through our Learning Newsletter and on our social media.
Want to learn more or get involved?
- Join Archaeology Scotland as a member to support community projects like the Big Dig and learning projects like Energy Through Time.
- Subscribe to Archaeology Scotland’s newsletter.
