SCC - Onshore Exhibition

The Exhibition Centre houses some of the original early Iron Age artefacts from ‘Oakbank Crannog’ and features structural timbers in wet tanks, models, interpretative panels, and several videos covering the underwater excavations and the experimental building of the crannog. The displays include a ‘feely-discovery-box’ for children and a large format jigsaw for toddlers.

In addition to presenting the results of research and underwater excavation, the exhibition interprets these discoveries to paint a detailed picture of the Iron Age crannog dwellers.

Oakbank Crannog is radiocarbon dated approximately to between 600BC and 400BC depending on calibration of the dates.

Some of the original alder timbers that supported Oakbank Crannog.

The residents of ‘Oakbank Crannog’ were peaceful and successful farmers who grew wheat and barley and kept cattle, goats, and sheep. The discovery of a fragment of finely woven cloth made from hand-spun wool indicates a sophisticated level of weaving.

Well-crafted wooden domestic utensils and structural elements show great woodworking skills, while other discoveries suggest trade outside the crannog-dweller’s immediate environment.

A weaving loom that reproduces the type of 2:1 woollen twill cloth found at Oakbank Crannog.

Underwater archaeologists discovered a saddle quern at Oakbank Crannog made from the local schist stone with garnets. The repeated grinding of the grain which produced the saddle shape of the quern also would have produced bits of stone in the flour.

The wide range of food remains together with jewellery items and other discoveries suggest high status and a level of comfort perhaps not shared by everyone in the vicinity.

The saddle quern shown here with spelt wheat on the stalk and
harvested grain.

The underwater survey and excavations in Loch Tay continue as training courses.

As new discoveries are brought to light they will be preserved, studied and placed on display. However, as underwater archaeology in Scotland is not well-funded, the material raised is kept to the minimum. A range of conserved artefacts already await display, while two recent discoveries await conservation pending grant aid.

You can help support this important research by making a (taxfree) donation. Funding permitted, we also hope to expand the exhibition to display the results of other crannog investigations and related research.