Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com – Recent storms along Britain’s coastline have uncovered 2,000-year-old footprints on Angus’s Lunan Bay beach, marking it as one of the few sites in the UK where such ancient imprints have been found. These human and animal footprints date back to the era of Boudicca, Jesus, and the Roman Empire. The shifting sands exposed a new layer of clay where these markings became visible.
Footprint marked with an outline left in the clay 2,000 years ago. Credit: University of Aberdeen
Local residents Ivor Campbell and Jenny Snedden discovered the footprints while walking their dogs after noticing that storm damage had revealed fresh clay in the dunes. Recognizing their potential significance, Ivor contacted council archaeologist Bruce Mann. Understanding both the importance of this find and its vulnerability to further weather changes, Mann quickly enlisted experts from the University of Aberdeen to document and study this rare archaeological discovery before it could be lost again.
A team of archaeologists, led by Professor Kate Britton, responded quickly to the discovery, stopping at a craft store along the way to gather essential supplies such as Plaster of Paris. The group, which included faculty staff and PhD students, worked under challenging conditions with winds exceeding 55 mph and blowing sand in order to preserve evidence of the footprints.
Aerial view of the Lunan Bay site. Credit: University of Aberdeen
While similar markings have been found at a few sites in England—such as the Severn Estuary, Formby in Merseyside, and Happisburgh in Norfolk—there has previously been no record of such a site in Scotland.
“We knew we were dealing with a really rare site and that this discovery offered a unique snapshot in time – but it was also clear that the sea would soon take back what had so recently been revealed.
We had to work fast in the worst conditions I’ve ever encountered for archaeological fieldwork – the sea was coming in fast, with every high tide ripping away parts of the site, while wind-blown sand was simultaneously damaging it. We were effectively being sand-blasted and the site was too, all while we were trying to delicately clean, study and document it, so it became a race against the elements. And, within 48 hours the entire site was destroyed,” Professor Britton said in a press release.
The team working at Lunan Bay during a break in the weather. Credit: University of Aberdeen
With the assistance of Jenny and Ivor, who helped carry buckets and provided much-appreciated tea breaks, the small team of archaeologists—comprising Professor Gordon Noble, post-doctoral researchers Dr. Will Mills and Dr. Elinor Graham, along with PhD students Sarah Barakat, Thomas Warrington, and Tayla Sanders—successfully recorded and mapped the site. They also created 3D models and physical casts of the footprints discovered there.
In the laboratory, preserved plant remains found in layers just beneath the footprints were selected for radiocarbon dating. This analysis has recently confirmed that the markings date back approximately 2,000 years. Further study of these footprints has revealed evidence of red deer, roe deer, other animals, as well as humans who once walked barefoot across what are now semi-fossilised clay surfaces.
“This is a real tangible link to the region’s past,” team member Professor Noble added. “The late Iron Age dates are in keeping with what we know about the rich archaeology of nearby Lunan Valley. It’s very exciting to think these prints were made by people around the time of the Roman invasions of Scotland and in the centuries leading up to the emergence of the Picts.”
Archaeologists say the unique find offers a window into human activity along the Angus coastline and the changing nature of the landscape.
Dr William Mills added: “It is incredibly rare to see such a delicate record saved, taking only minutes to create and hours to be destroyed, a snapshot of what people were doing thousands of years ago. The site also tells us how this now sandy beach was once a muddy estuary and that humans were using this environment, perhaps for hunting deer or to collect wild plant foods such as samphire.
“While this site was very short lived, it demonstrates the potential for similar finds – any of the clays of the wider Montrose basin area could preserve more of this important archaeological information.”
Professor Noble, along with Dr Mills and Dr Graham, was able to capture precious drone footage of the site in the rare moments the wind died down.
Dr Elinor Graham added: “The logistics of recording this exceptionally fragile site were very challenging but in small windows of calmer conditions, we took the opportunity to fly the drone and capture the site from the air. The photos let us map the footprints in 3D with millimetre accuracy as a permanent record, even though the site has now been lost. With sea levels rising and coastal erosion accelerating around Scotland it’s more important than ever that local community members keep an eye on their local coasts and report potential new discoveries.”
Bruce Mann, Regional Archaeologist serving Aberdeenshire, Angus, Moray and Aberdeen City Councils, praised the quick thinking of Ivor and Jenny in enabling analysis of the site to take place.
See also: More Archaeology News
He said: “As soon as I saw the first photograph, I realised I was looking at something very special. It was a powerful reminder that some of the most important discoveries start with someone noticing something and choosing to report it. What came next was a race against time, and I cannot thank the University of Aberdeen team enough for responding to my call for help.
“Standing there, watching the site being destroyed as the waves crashed over it, was heartbreaking in some ways, but at least we got the chance to record most of it. There is nothing left now, the storms having both revealed and then destroyed the site in just over a week.”
Written by Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com Staff Writer
