Oakbank Crannog

Excavation has been going on at the Oakbank site since 1980 largely due to the passion and dedication of Nick Dixon, who runs the Scottish Trust for Underwater Archaeology at Edinburgh University. His wife, Barrie Andrian, shares his enthusiasm for the site, and over the years it has turned into something of a life's work for the pair of them.

A few years ago, they used their discoveries and understanding from Oakbank to reconstruct a complete crannog at what is now the Scottish Crannog Centre about four miles away. Based entirely on the archaeological deposits found at Oakbank, the reconstruction not only provides the perfect context to the archaeology, but really brings Iron-Age society to life.

Oakbank crannog is completely submerged in the clear waters of Loch Tay. Underwater, the peaty loch bed provides almost perfect preservation conditions, and thus supplies more finds and information than equivalent land archaeology. Previous discoveries at the sites had included a wooden butter dish with butter still in it, bronze pins, floor timbers, small insects, a swan-neck pin, beads, a canoe paddle, woven cloth and cooking utensils. Altogether, the excavations on the site have found the remains of some 200 different plant species, including opium seeds and spelt wheat which previously the Romans were believed to have introduced to Britain.