The results of a photography competition challenging entrants to capture striking images of archaeological sites in the North East of Scotland have gone on display.
Thirty entries have gone through to the final stage of the Picturing the Past competition, hosted by the University of Aberdeen's Archaeology Department and funded by a Cultural Engagement Grant from the University.
The finalists' work has gone on display at the Old Town House on the University's King's College Campus, alongside artefacts from Marischal Museum illustrating the deep history of Aberdeenshire.
The finalists' images can also be viewed at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/archaeology/photocompetition/gallery/ where members of the public are invited to cast an online vote for their favourite photograph and help choose the winning entrants.
Ten finalists have been chosen from the three competition categories: adult monochrome images, adult colour images and children's images.
An overall adult winner will be chosen from across both the monochrome and colour categories of the competition, and will win a cash prize of £1000.
Two cash prizes of £100 will be awarded to the runners up within both the monochrome and colour categories.
A first place prize of £50 and a second place prize of £25 will be awarded in the children's category.
The winning images will be announced on 29 January 2009.
The competition was devised with the aim of encouraging the public to visit and photograph the diverse range of archaeological sites and monuments located throughout the Aberdeenshire area.
The finalists were selected from over 160 submissions by a judging panel consisting of staff from the University's Archaeology Department, Marischal Museum, Aberdeenshire Council, and professional landscape photographer, Sandy Menzies.
Dr Gordon Noble, from the University of Aberdeen's Department of Archaeology, said: "The competition received overwhelming support and the entries captured sites and monuments from across Aberdeenshire dating from the Mesolithic to the Medieval Period.
"It was a challenging task to choose thirty finalists from the many dozens of high quality submissions received. The resulting exhibition at the Old Town House, which integrates prehistoric and medieval artefacts from Aberdeenshire that have been lent by Marischal Museum, illustrates the magnificent archaeology of the North East of Scotland.
"It is hoped members of the public will take the opportunity to visit the exhibition and cast their votes online for the competition entries they feel are the most evocative and which most successfully capture the fascinating archaeology of this region."
The Picturing the Past exhibition is on display at the Old Town House, on the University of Aberdeen's King's College Campus until February 28, 2009 and can be visited from 9am – 5pm, Monday to Saturday.