Archaeology

The Kirk of St Nicholas is arguably the most important and undervalued building in the royal burgh of Aberdeen. The present structure is mainly of 18th and 19th century date, but incorporates portions of the 12th century church and stands on the site of the 15th century building, which was one of the largest and most prestigious burgh churches in Scotland.

The archaeological significance of the Kirk and its precinct has several facets:

1: Surviving remains of upstanding structures in the transepts dating from the 12th century are of major significance to the study of Scottish mediaeval parish and burgh churches.

2: Fragments of architectural and decorative stonework from earlier church buildings are located at various places within the present structure and are worthy of further study and interpretation.

3: Excavations within Collinson’s Aisle (North transept) in 1974 and evaluation work more recently in 2004 and 2005 have amply demonstrated that archaeological deposits dating to the period of 12th and 15th century structures remain below the present building. It is possible that evidence may also exist below ground of an even earlier church building. It is vital that all these features are protected and, should the opportunity arise, be explored further. Very little is known from archaeological evidence about the form and construction of pre-15th century Scottish burgh churches.

4: The Kirk and Kirkyard have been used for burial for at least 900 years. Several fine monuments of the 17th century and later date survive within the Kirk and Kirkyard, while others have been discovered during recent archaeological work inside the Kirk. Many of the external memorials are in a poor state of repair and there is a need for a programme of detailed recording and conservation work.

Archaeological Dig

The full archaeological exploration began at the end of January 2006 in the East Kirk. The work finished just before Christmas 2006.

Whilst the actual dig is complete, a great deal of work still continues as all the 'finds' are subject to scientific analysis and further study. This process could take up to ten years to complete.

A small interim booklet has been produced which outlines something of the history of the building and gives more details about the dig and current ideas about some of the findings. It has many colour pictures showing the work in progress and items of interest as they were found. Copies, costing £2.50, are available from the Kirk during normal visitor opening times from May to September.

In addition, a weekly report was produced throughout the dig. Now, a monthly update is being produced. Links to each of these reports are given below.

 

Latest News

To see the latest news about the dig click here

Week 1 Report click here

Week 2 Report click here

Week 3 Report click here

Week 4 Report click here

Week 5 Report click here

Week 6 report click here

Week 7 report click here

Week 8 report click here

Week 9 report click here

Week 10 report click here

Week 11 - no report due to holiday

Week 12 report click here

Week 13 report click here

Week 14 report click here

Week 15 report click here

Week 16 report click here

Week 17 report click here

Week 18 report click here

Week 19 report click here

Week 20 report click here

Week 21 report click here

Week 22 report click here

Week 23 report click here

Week 24 report click here

Week 25 report click here

Week 26 report click here

Week 27 report click here

Week 28 report click here

Week 29 report click here

Week 30 report click here

Week 31 report click here

Week 32 report click here

Week 33 report click here

Week 34 report click here

Week 35 report click here

Week 36 report click here

Week 37 report click here

Week 38 report click here

Week 39 report click here

Week 40 report click here

Week 41 report click here

Week 42 report click here

Week 43 report click here

Week 44 report click here

Week 45 report click here

Week 46 report click here

January 2007 report click here

February 2007 report click here

March 2007 report here

April 2007 report here

May 2007 report here

June 2007 report here

July 2007 report here

September 2007 report here

October 2007 report here

November 2007 report here

December 2007 report here

January 2008 report here

March 2008 report here

May 2008 report here

June 2008 report here