SEARCH ON FOR SECRETS OF LOST BISHOP'S PALACE
Archaeologists from throughout the UK will team up with Aberdeenshire volunteers and students from as far afield as the US this month to uncover further traces of a lost bishop's palace.
Penny Dransart, of the University of Wales at Lampeter, who is leading the annual dig at the centuries-old palace site near Kemnay, said good progress was already being made in a new area where work began last summer.
Together with the late Nicholas Bogdan, of Oldmeldrum, Ms Dransart started excavations beside the ruins of Fetternear House in 1994.
The work uncovered the remains of the Palace of Fetternear, created by Alexander Kininmonth while he was Bishop of Aberdeen between 1329 and 1341.
The scale of the building - which disappeared long ago below the parks and formal gardens of the later Fetternear House - and diversity of finds established the project as an archaeological excavation of international importance.
Fetternear House was destroyed by fire in 1919.
Last year's dig opened up an area west of the drive to the mansion and confirmed the extent of the lost palace. It also emerged the palace was protected by a substantial moat.
Finds from the new excavation included pottery from the area and German pottery dating from the 13th and 14th centuries. Over the past week, the dig has revealed evidence of further massive walling, and several more pieces of local mediaeval pottery.
The work will continue until July 29 and several volunteers from the Netherlands are planning to join the team.
Visitors can watch the progress of the Fetternear Palace dig, which continues throughout this month. Parking is available at Netherton Business Centre on the outskirts of Kemnay. The excavation is a short distance along the old estate road by foot.
orginally published here.
Camera on a kite
I went in past the "dig" today and saw that the workers were hard at it, though a bit warm perhaps, what lovely weather they're having so far!
Didn't have time to stay for long today but intend to go back later in week to see if I can get a report on what's happening.
I did wonder however why someone was standing there flying a kite, until it was explained there was a camera up there attached to the string too :)