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Scotland
Traprain LawSacred Hill
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Historic Site Reveals its SecretsFrom an article published on the BBC News web site on 12th November 2004: Archaeologists are set to learn about new discoveries at one of Scotland's most important ancient sites... continues... |
Posted by Kammer12th November 2004ce Edited 12th November 2004ce |
New Discoveries at Traprain LawEdited from "Iron Age 'nerve centre' uncovered on hill" by Angie Brown, The Scotsman http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index... continues... |
Posted by Rhiannon28th July 2004ce Edited 12th November 2004ce |
Dig set to begin at historic siteFrom BBCi, 22 July 2004 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3915397.stm Excavations are set to begin at what experts have described as one of the most important archaeological sites in Scotland... continues... |
Posted by Jane22nd July 2004ce |
Race to save ancient fort site hit by massive fireAN emergency meeting has been called to save an Iron Age fort in East Lothian threatened by a massive blaze which has burned for a fortnight... continues... |
Posted by stubob22nd September 2003ce Edited 24th September 2003ce |
Hill fort fireAccording to the East Lothian Courier, the grassland on top of Traprain Law was ablaze last weekend. The fire was believed to have been started by a dropped cigarette end. Archaeologists are apparently currently excavating the site, and were this week trying to decide how much damage had been caused to the hill fort... continues... |
Posted by Rhiannon 12th September 2003ce Edited 16th September 2003ce |
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Traprain Law, East Lothian Friday 21/9/01 4:35pm This is East Lothians 'Dunadd'- this hill dominates the East Lothian skyline as it rises out of the fertile farming plains all around. I can even see this mound from window in my work place in Edinburgh and it's visible from many other points across the Capital and Mid Lothian. This must have been a great Mother of a central point for the megalith builders living around here- certainly- along its west base is a line of standing stones from Standingstone Farm, through Loths Stone, ending at another monolith just outside East Linton. The only other dominating feature of the land around here is the perfect cone of Berwick Law- another focal point for ancient civilisations. The climb up here is probably the most precarious I've done to any ancient site- my very limited climbing/scrambling skills certainly came in useful. I came up by the NE side of this ancient mound (not the easiest route I later found out!) which has been quarried in complete blinding disregard for this place. The presence of the quarry makes the climb up kinda scary and not for those like me trying to ignore the far-too-high drop to the right. This is the first time I've come up here though it's been on my skyline all my life whenever I look towards the east. Driving here along the amazing country roads I rounded a small hill and it all of a sudden loomed over me filling the windscreen- 'Fuck' was my exact words! This place has been occupied/used from Neolithic, through Bronze (when it was used for burials), Iron ages up through Roman to about 5th century AD- jeez- that's about 5000 years! It's very size and position acts as a natural defence but there's also man-made fortifications all around extending for over 100 m and up to 3.5 m thick. In more recent times this area has become the focus of paranormal/UFO research as the skies above my head have been filled with glowing orbs. Today it's misty and I can't even see as far as Edinburgh. There's only one way back down from here and methinks it's a sliding-down-on-yer-arse job! Directions Take the A1 east from Edinburgh and head through Haddington on to East Linton. From here take the road south heading towards the might of Traprain Law itself. Pass Traprain and Sunnyside farms and take the next right following the signs. There's a couple of car parks- the second one from this direction has some Historic Scotland boards telling of history, folklore, natural history etc. |
Posted by Martin 26th September 2001ce |
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Somewhere in the vicinity lived the Pictish king called Loth (around 518). He had a daughter called Thenew who fell in love with a local shepherd. This didn't please Loth and he condemned his daughter to death by having her thrown form the top of Traprain Law. She survived though and still unconscious was carried to a coracle and set afloat on the Firth of Forth. The tide carried her to Culross, where the still unconscious princess was taken ashore by shepherds. Sometime after, she bore a son called Kentigern, who trained as a holy man and was later called Mungo. When he grew up he travelled west and set up a monastery in a small village called Cathures- this grew into the great city of Glasgow- of which Mungo is the patron saint. The shepherd who fell in love with Thenew took revenge on Loth and killed him with an arrow through his heart and legend has it he was buried at the foot of Traprain Law. In 1861 Professor James Young Simpson (he of anaesthetic fame) examined the stones around the Law in the hope of discovering Loths grave. Forty foot east of the original site of Loths Stone a stone cist was discovered. |
Posted by Martin 29th September 2001ce |
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PAST - NEWSLETTER OF THE PREHISTORIC SOCIETY April EditionThe April edition of PAST is now online and includes:- THE NEW ROCK ART DISCOVERIES AT TRAPRAIN LAW TRAPRAIN LAW: ARCHAEOLOGY FROM THE ASHES A Late Bronze Age axe hoard, Roman Iron Age occupation levels and ecclesiastical remains from the Medieval period testify to the significance of this site over several millennia |
Posted by fitzcoraldo2nd June 2005ce Edited 2nd June 2005ce |
Ancient StonesGo on- dance about naked up here- y'know ya want to! |
Posted by Martin 5th October 2001ce |
Ancient LothianV. comprehensive description of this great mound. Under Contents Menu look for Forts. |
Posted by Martin 2nd October 2001ce |
UFOcus ProjectThe (rather bizarre!) site for live webcam images of Traprain Law. I haven't checked this out though... |
Posted by Martin 29th September 2001ce |
Gazeteer for ScotlandSome great pics and brief description. |
Posted by Martin 29th September 2001ce |
BBC newsReport referring to the set up of cameras by a Japanese film crew trying to capture shots of the UFOs above this site. |
Posted by Martin 29th September 2001ce |
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