PERTHSHIRE AMATEUR archaeologists have the chance to see an exciting excavation taking place.

Members of Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust have been taking part in activities as part of Perthshire Archaeology Month and have made some fascinating finds.

Yesterday, pupils from Pitlochry Primary School were helping in the excavation of a home steading dating back to the Iron Age at Black Spout near Pitlochry.

David Strachan, manager/archaeologist with Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust, told The Courier yesterday, “This steading is two metres thick and around three metres high, similar in style to the ones at the Crannog Centre.

“These buildings were peculiar to those found in Perthshire during the Iron Age. This site has been there for some time but has never been excavated before.

“We want to discover more about it so people who walk in the area at the waterfall at Black Spout can also see it.

“We want to look at the homestead and see how it compares to the dunes found on the west coast of Scotland.”

Mr Strachan said the exciting finds have included Quern stones which were used for grinding corn.

“We also found material used for keeping down the top of the thatch of the homesteads,” he added. “But the best find has been toggle beads which we think date back to the Romans being in Scotland.

“People in the Iron Age didn’t use glass but these beads were melted down for jewellery. They were recast from Roman glass.”

All the finds of the excavation are included in a photographic display being held at Moulin Kirk, which is a heritage centre.

Anyone wishing to see the excavation can visit the site and they will be shown around by an archaeologist.