Ritual and remembrance at the third millennia BC prehistoric monument complex at Forteviot, central Scotland

The third millennium BC is a period of major transition in the human history of Northwest Europe, when many important landscapes, characterized by elaborate complexes of Neolithic ritual monuments, were transformed by the expanding networks of the Bronze Age. The results of a five year landscape project - the excavation of the major prehistoric monument complex at Forteviot, Central Scotland, undertaken as part of the Strathearn Environs & Royal Forteviot project (SERF) (2007-11) - provides unique insights into the nature of the changes that took place during the third millennium BC. The Forteviot excavations are the first comprehensive study of an early prehistoric ritual complex in Scotland and demonstrate a centre that was in use through a period of almost 1000 years across the traditional divide between the later Neolithic and the Early Bronze Age. Analysis of the changes in monument building, settlement and burial evidence at centres such as Forteviot provides an important opportunity for detailed insight into the nature of the shifts in ideology during the third millennium BC, a period crucial to understanding the development of complex societies in Northwest Europe.
The culmination of this research, supported by this early career research fellowship, will be an authoritative and detailed account of the prehistoric monument complex at Forteviot. The resulting research monograph will establish Forteviot and its surrounding landscape as a prehistoric centre on a par with landscapes such as the better known (and World Heritage listed) landscapes of Stonehenge and Orkney. The discoveries at Forteviot included a very rare and important later Neolithic cremation cemetery, which appears to be the catalyst for the creation of the monument complex, an important series of timber and earth monuments constructed throughout the third millennium BC, and the unparalleled find of a Bronze Age dagger grave with staggering levels of preservation. The project will provide unique insights into how some of the broad sweeps of Northwest European prehistory were played out at a significant, yet previously unknown, major third millennium BC monument complex that formed the chief regional focus for ceremonial practice throughout this period in central mainland Scotland.
In addition to the monograph, the award will also enable the organization of a comparative conference session on the nature of prehistoric monument complexes across Europe at the 17th Annual European Association of Archaeologists meeting in Oslo, and a day symposium in Glasgow, both important events in the wider contextualization of these sites on a European scale. The monograph itself will not only outline the excavated details of an internationally significant site, drawing on the completed work of a broad range of researchers, but the findings of the project will have an impact on a range of research topics of wide debate. As well as academic outputs, the results will be disseminated through non-academic channels, with the production of a summary publication for community participants and other stakeholders. As an early career researcher, this project will form an instrumental element of my career training and research profile, and will allow the opportunity to refocus on future projects that aim to produce similarly high-profile results and research.

The SERF project has had a major media impact at the national level with articles in most of the major print media: the Independent, Guardian, Times, Daily Express, The Herald, Scottish Sunday Post and the Scotsman and the more local: the Glasgow Metro, Perthshire Courier, Strathallan News. The project has also featured on television on BBC Alba, BBC2's 'Digging Up The Past' series (clips of which are on YouTube) and local news programmes. All of this publicity promotes public understanding and appreciation of the past and the results of the project have already provided important fodder for the public imagination- e.g. the exceptionally well preserved Bronze Age dagger grave finds. In addition in 2009 the project was nominated for the Current Archaeology Research Project of the Year 2010, one of only two major award series' for the profession, this came on top of appearing on the front cover of Current Archaeology magazine and being the focus of a major spread in May 2009. Current Archaeology is the UK's best selling archaeology magazine with over 17,000 subscribers worldwide.
In addition to media impacts, the SERF project also aims to have significant impacts on heritage policy. The fieldwork element of the project has been funded by Historic Scotland with an important management aspect to the research. We have been monitoring and assessing the damage caused by agricultural practices on the cultural resource and this will feed into governmental management strategies regarding the historic environment. The important outreach activities of SERF also match Historic Scotland's aims in enhancing accessibility to heritage. The project results, will in addition, enhance the National Monuments Record of Scotland, the administration of which is the main goal of another of our partners the RCAHMS and where again accessibility is a major factor in their remit. Ultimately the spectacular results of the excavations to date will also feed into the museums sector and education - the dagger grave assemblage from Forteviot for example is the best preserved and contextualized from Scotland and will form an important museum display of the future.
The SERF project has also made important impacts on the local community. In four years the project has trained over 80 volunteers in the key skills of archaeological investigation and have thus actively involved these individuals in knowledge creation. I believe this involvement is a way of promoting pride in place as well as providing new skills for these individuals. As part of the outreach elements of the project SERF has developed an active working partnership with the Perth & Kinross Heritage Trust (PKHT) a charitable body who aim to conserve, enhance and promote the historic environment of the region for public benefit. It is in partnership with PKHT that the volunteer scheme has developed and has been administered. In addition PKHT has helped us produce an accessible booklet publication on an initial reconnaissance year and three seasons of fieldwork, which has been disseminated to all project volunteers, local stakeholders and project members and wider interested parties. SERF also provides a significant financial input for a small rural community using local facilities, accommodation, local food retailers and local contractors.
The current application will continue the goal of achieving an international audience for the project with the publication of a monograph with a respected academic publisher and the research will also be showcased at the international EAA conference in September 2011 in Oslo and at a day symposium in Glasgow. In addition, application has been made here to produce a partner volume to the original public outreach publication produced by PKHT which will continue the impacts at a more local level, providing an accessible synthesis of the overall findings that will be