Scottish Urban Archaeological Trust

The Scottish Urban Archaeological Trust Ltd. (abbreviated SUAT) is an archaeological company. It was formed in 1982,[1] replacing the Urban Archaeology Unit, itself established four years earlier. Based in Perth, Scotland, the Trust operates the monitoring and excavation of redevelopment in Scotland's medieval burghs.[2]

Scottish Urban Archaeological Trust
AbbreviationSUAT
PredecessorUrban Archaeology Unit
Founded9 July 1982 (1982-07-09)
TypeArchaeology
Headquarters55 South Methven Street
Location
Coordinates56.3959389°N 3.43456652°W / 56.3959389; -3.43456652
Area served
Scotland

Background

In the early days of the Trust's existence, large parts of its work was funded through a combination of Manpower Services Commission schemes and funding from SDD Ancient Monuments.[2] After local authorities were reorganised in the 1990s, including the appointment of local-authority archaeologists, the funding for the monitoring project was brought to an end.[2] SUAT shifted its work to concentrate on developed-funded archaeology, along with undertaking funded research projects from Historic Scotland's (now Historic Environment Scotland) archaeology programme.[2]

Projects

In 1997, when proposals were made to dismantle and rebuild the eastern wall of Perth's Greyfriars Burial Ground, two test pits were dug by the Trust. One of the pits found what is believed to be the original monastery wall foundations. A "succession of wall foundations" hinted at several wall replacement and repair efforts undertaken during the monastery's lifespan, each raising the ground level. Medieval pottery was also discovered, likely associated with the soil of lower garden abutting the original monastery wall. The other pit demonstrated a lack of a progression of wall foundations, confirming that that area was inside the 1795 graveyard extension and outside the original monastery grounds. The second pit also showed signs of infilling or levelling layers, possibly from when a burn, which ran along the burial ground's southern wall, was covered with soil.[3]

Publications
  • Perth: The Archaeology of the Medieval Town (1984) ISBN 0947544011

References
  1. Scottish Urban Archaeological Trust Limited – Endole]
  2. 1.5 The History of research – Scottish Archaeological Research Framework
  3. "Perth, Canal Street, Greyfriars Burial Ground" – Canmore
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