A fascinating selection of prehistoric flints, including a 4000-year-old arrowhead, found in the Forvie Sands will be put on display in the Stevenson Forvie Centre to coincide with Collieston Gala this weekend.
The project, which has involved collaboration between the University of Aberdeen’s Marischal Museum and Scottish Natural Heritage, will see the collection of archaeological finds being put on public display in time for the ever-popular Collieston Gala which takes place on Saturday (July 30).
Marischal Museum’s collections include many thousands of prehistoric flints found in Forvie, some as part of fieldwork by Marischal Museum Young Archaeologists club.
Careful recording and analysis has shown that flints found naturally among beach pebbles were used by people over thousands of years to make tools. The selection minute ‘mircoliths’ that may be almost 8000-years-old, alongside waste debris from their manufacture.
Also on display are some finds from Forvie Kirk that are also in the care of the University, having been excavated by Professor Kirk in the 1950s. These include fragments of stained glass and a lead from one of the windows in the church. The walls of the church, which had probably fallen out of use by the 15th century, can still be seen.
Neil Curtis, Senior Curator, Marischal Museum said: “The partnership between Scottish Natural Heritage and the University has seen a dedicated case installed which will enable us to display objects from Forvie close to their findspot.
“It will also remind people of the importance of not collecting archaeological material except as part of careful fieldwork.”
Alison Matheson, Area Officer for Scottish Natural Heritage said: “We are delighted to be able to display these artefacts as part of our display.
“We hope that visitors will enjoy finding out find out more about the people who lived on Forvie in the past.
“It is an excellent reminder of the long-term human impact on an environment that many people think of as entirely natural.”
The finds are on display in the Stevenson Forvie Centre in Collieston, which is open daily April to October and at other times by arrangement. They should be on display for at least one year.