Bernie Allen, a third-year UNE Ancient History student, who participated in May 2014 in an archaeological dig at Sheriffside, Scotland, as part of the ‘Rampart Scotland’ project, will present a public lecture on Thursday 30 October.

Discovered in 1981, Sheriffside was a complex hill-fort, containing a series of ditches, banks and palisades spanning nearly 1000 years between 600 BC and AD 400. Positioned on the end of a ridge near the East Lothian village of Gifford, it offers a 360 degree panorama taking in landmarks such as the Lammermuir hills to the south, Pentland hills to the west, and the Kingdom of Fife to the north. Based on the dating of a nine metre wide and three metre deep ditch to about AD 360, the hill-fort may have been a defensive Roman position providing protection from the Irish, Picts, Gaels, and Saxons, who in AD 367 simultaneously attacked Roman Britain.

His participation in this project was enabled by the Caswell and Mulligan Ancient History International Travel Bursary, which has so far financed archaeological digs for five UNE Ancient History students. Bernie will present his talk in Arts Lecture Theatre A2, Thursday 30th Oct., 6.30-7.30 PM.