Hana Kdolska | University of Edinburgh (original) (raw)

Articles by Hana Kdolska

Archaeology on Furlough, 2020

Sheepfarming has had a profound effects on the economy, culture and landscape of the Scottish Bor... more Sheepfarming has had a profound effects on the economy, culture and landscape of the Scottish Borders for hundreds of years. This project identified and catalogued sheep-related sites in the Lammermuir Hills—primarily sheepfolds, as well as sheep dips, sheep houses and other livestock enclosures. Using aerial photographs, historic maps and lidar data, the project team documented 860 sites These have all been catalogued and sorted into different types of structures. This data was further analysed using GIS software to understand more about where these were positioned in the landscape. This highlighted a preference for sites lower than 100m altitude, as well as proximity to roads and water. The project report also includes an extensive discussion of placenames in the Lammermuir Hills related to sheep raising.

PAST, 2020

The coastal mudflats and dune cliffs known as Hedderwick Sands are situated to the west of Dunbar... more The coastal mudflats and dune cliffs known as Hedderwick
Sands are situated to the west of Dunbar and the south of
Tyningehame Bay in East Lothian. Collection of flints leads to the pinpointing of the lost Neolithic site, first uncovered in the 1920s, and also reveals a World War II defensive site. The test pitting and walkover survey in both the inland area and beach resulted in the recovery of further lithics, all of which belong to the Late Neolithic.

Books by Hana Kdolska

Archaeopress , 2021

White Castle: The evaluation of an upstanding prehistoric enclosure in East Lothian describes the... more White Castle: The evaluation of an upstanding prehistoric enclosure in East Lothian describes the results of a four year research programme of archaeological works between 2010 and 2013, at the later prehistoric enclosure of White Castle, East Lothian, carried out under the auspices of the Rampart Scotland project. The site is a Scheduled Monument, but, despite being subject of mapping and survey for some 200 years, it has never been examined by excavation prior to the Rampart Scotland project’s interventions. White Castle was the first of the series of comparable sites to be excavated in the Lammermuir area. The programme of archaeological evaluation and sequence of radiometric dates furnished evidence for four major phases of activity at White Castle – with the main enclosure period dating to the second half of the first millennium BC. The excavations demonstrated a clear sequence of enclosure development over time, whereby the design and visual impact often appeared to be more important than defence alone. White Castle’s location on the main route through the Lammermuirs with surrounding upland pasture is also highly suggestive to its function and it seems probable that the site’s economy was concerned primarily with controlling access to grazing. The final phase of the prehistoric enclosure appears to combine two key factors: impressing visitors and stock control. While maintenance of White Castle’s enclosure system was abandoned in the closing centuries BC, it is unlikely that the area was deserted and there is also limited evidence for two later phases of activity on site around the Medieval and Early Modern Periods.

Contributor by Hana Kdolska

Archaeology Reports Online, 2021

This publication presents an initial assessment of a multi-period prehistoric landscape at Balbit... more This publication presents an initial assessment of a multi-period prehistoric landscape at Balbithan Wood, Kintore Aberdeenshire conducted by over 100 volunteers over a six year period via small scale archaeological interventions. The evidence and its interpretation is presented as a discussion describing the transition from field survey of hut circles and cairns to more nuanced descriptions of hut circles, rings cairns, clearance cairns and non-clearance cairns. The project also identifies the changing landscape use from the Mesolithic to the middle Bronze Age. These are compared to earlier excavations by the author and others in the immediate environs. This has identified key differences in economy, land use and response to climate change. All of which is used as basis to propose further research.

Proc Soc Antiq Scot, 2010

This paper presents the results of the excavation of a single keyhole trench at the oblong vitrif... more This paper presents the results of the excavation of a single keyhole trench at the oblong vitrified fort of Dunnideer, Aberdeenshire, along with a brief history of the study of oblong forts and vitrification. The excavation yielded two radiocarbon dates derived from destruction layers, which are discussed along with the results of a limited programme of archaeomagnetic dating at the same location.

TAFAC, 2012

The RCAHMS survey of Strathdon, Aberdeenshire characterised the various hillforts within the area... more The RCAHMS survey of Strathdon, Aberdeenshire characterised the various hillforts within the area into six types, on the basis of size and defensive system (RCAHMS 2007), though without any chronological significance. As no intrusive work had been undertaken on the sites it was unclear how the classes related to each other. It should be noted that the term Strathdon does not appear in the final version of the RCAHMS volume, which instead uses the more correct Donside; however, it was used in an earlier draft (Strat Halliday pers comm) which was the inspiration for this programme of research.
The Hillforts of Strathdon Project aimed to explore the chronological relationships between the area’s various hillforts (Cook 2010) by undertaking keyhole excavation, with local volunteers on one example from each of the six site types to recover dating evidence from taphonomically secure contexts. The project examined six hillforts over five years (Cook 2010): Bruce’s Camp (NMRS NJ71NE 3; Cook et al forthcoming), Maiden Castle (NMRS NJ62SE2; Cook 2011); Dunnideer (NMRS NJ62NW1; Cook 2010); Hill of Newleslie (NMRS NJ52NE 31), Hill of Barra (NMRS NJ82NW 4; Cook et al 2009) and Cairnmore (NMRS NJ52SW 9; Cook et al 2010). This paper presents an interim account of the third season of
the project which examined the multivallate hillfort at Hill of Barra (NGR NJ 8025 2570) and places the results in their immediate context.

Tayside and Fife Archaeological Journal, 2011

The Hillforts of Strathdon Project explored the chronological relationships between the various h... more The Hillforts of Strathdon Project explored the chronological relationships between the various hill-forts (Cook 2010). The aim was to undertake keyhole excavation, with local volunteers on a range of these sites to recover dating evidence. The project examined six hillforts over five years: Bruce’s Camp (NJ71NE 3; Cook et al forthcoming), Maiden Castle (NJ62SE2); Dunnideer (NJ62NW1; Cook et al 2008); Hill of Newleslie (NJ52NE 31), Hill of Barra (NJ82NW 4; Cook et al 2009) and Cairnmore (NJ52SW 9; Cook et al 2010).
This paper presents an interim account of the work at Maiden Castle and proposes that the architecture of the fortifications represents a deliberate choice laden with meaning and significance. Two potential sources for the architecture are identified, the first, Iron Age hillforts and Complex Atlantic Roundhouses (and cognate forms) and the second, putative west coast early medieval duns and Irish raths. Finally, these potential choices will be set in the context of the dynamic religious and political situation in contemporary North-East Scotland.

Reports by Hana Kdolska

This document reports on the results of the second season of the Shimal Plain Palm Gardens Mappin... more This document reports on the results of the second season of the Shimal Plain Palm Gardens Mapping Project (SPPG_2019), which followed from the successful pilot season carried out in the autumn of 2018. The study area corresponds to the large portion of the Shimal Plain in Ras al-Khaimah (UAE), which is extremely rich in archaeological sites– ranging from multiple monumental prehistoric tombs or an Early Islamic settlement of Kush and more recent defensive towers and fortifications. Given this unparalleled richness, it is unsurprising that the area has attracted a prolonged international research for some time but despite these notable efforts, the existing archaeological dataset remains largely unsorted and undigitized, resulting in a large lacuna in research relating to certain periods, while the development of settlement patterns at Shimal in general remains poorly understood.

A large area of the Shimal plain is covered by date palm gardens, which have been subject to a considerable decline in recent history, courtesy of inevitable socio-economic changes and modern development. On one hand, this creates an imminent threat to the archaeological record obtaining within these areas, while, at the same time, these same circumstances provide an unparalleled opportunity to carry out archaeological research within these previously inaccessible areas.

To address these issues and take up this opportunity, the SPPG project was set up to survey and map all extant archaeological features as well as more recent heritage architecture within the former palm gardens of Shimal, with data from the still used gardens added, where possible. By taking an advantage of suite of modern methods and technologies, the project utilised remote aerial prospection, LIDAR and aerial imagery, combined with detailed ground proofing survey and ceramics pick-up.

Drawing on the methodology and dataset from the pilot season (2018), the second season of the SPPG Project introduced several improvements, consisting of utilising a fully digital way of recording, with data entered directly onto database, as well as adjustments to the information collected. As before, all recorded sites/remains were accurately located, using GPS enabled phones and an interactive geospatial database created during the first season to present the results in query-friendly format was updated.

The second season turned out to be just as successful as the first, revealing an unparalleled richness of archaeological remains, with 9 archaeological/historical periods of activity identified from the concomitant ceramic analysis. The key sites investigated notably included the settlement around Kush and a large fortified compound and associated gardens, known locally as ‘al-Najdi House’. The survey also confirmed and extended the evidence for widespread Middle to Late Islamic agricultural landscape in the area as well as introduce further evidence of Late Antique, Iron Age and Bronze Age activity in the palm garden zone.

The overall aim of the SPPG Project is to create an enhanced integrated and accessible record of the settlement history in the Shimal area, which can be subsequently refined and utilised to further test theoretical models of settlement dynamics as well as being made available for enhanced academic studies. It is further anticipated that the dataset generated by the SPPG Project will form a valuable basis for the imminent Sites and Monuments Record (SMR), which will store information on all heritage assets within the Ras al-Khaimah Emirate in an accessible digital format, allowing for more effective planning control, heritage assets protection and linked tourism encouragement.

This document reports on the results of the pilot season of THE Shimal Plain Palm Gardens Mapping... more This document reports on the results of the pilot season of THE Shimal Plain Palm Gardens Mapping Project (SPPG_2018). The Shimal area in Ras al-Khaimah (UAE) is extremely rich in archaeological sites– ranging from multiple monumental Wadi Suq tombs to an Early Islamic settlement of Kush. Yet, despite a prolonged archaeological research in the region the existing dataset remains largely unsorted and undigitized, resulting in a large lacuna in research for certain periods, while the development of settlement patterns at Shimal in general remains poorly understood.
A large area of the Shimal plain is covered by date palm gardens, which have been subject to a considerable decline in recent history, courtesy of inevitable socio-economic changes and modern development, which pose an imminent threat to the archaeological record potentially preserved within these areas. Paradoxically, these same circumstances offer an unparalleled opportunity to carry out an archaeological survey of previously inaccessible areas.
To address these issues, the SPPG project was initiated to map all extant archaeological features within the former palm gardens of Shimal, using LIDAR and aerial imagery, combined with detailed ground proofing survey and ceramics pick-up. Taking an advantage of advances in technology, all sites/remains were accurately located and an interactive GIS map, with Access Database were created to present the data in query-friendly format. Correspondingly, the disused and existing palm garden walls and irrigation channels were also mapped, with details of building techniques and materials recorded.
The first season revealed an unparalleled richness of archaeological remains, with 9 archaeological/historical periods of activity identified from the ceramics analysis so far. The key sites notably included the (re) discovery of an extensive Iron Age site; a unique surviving high-status palm garden settlement, with complex irrigation system and an extensive Middle to Late Islamic agricultural landscape. It is hoped that the key sites identified this season and subsequently will be targeted by further research and in some cases urgent conservation works so that they may be preserved for future generations.
The research and fieldwork carried out thus far and planned for the near future, as part of the SPPG Project, aims to create an enhanced integrated record of settlement dynamics in the Shimal area from the prehistory to early Modern times, which can be subsequently refined and utilised to further test theoretical models of settlement dynamics, presumably linked to a combined factors of climatic events, changing agricultural practices and shifting economic and political power.
It is envisaged that enhancing the existing record from previous research and mapping/recording all archaeological assets located in the Shimal palm gardens in a systematic manner will make this type of resource more accessible for further academic study, as well as more appreciated by the lay public. It is further anticipated that the dataset generated by the SPPG Project will form a valuable basis for the imminent Sites and Monuments Record (SMR), which will store information on all heritage assets within the Ras al-Khaimah Emirate in an accessible digital format, allowing for more effective planning control and heritage assets protection.
In addition to this, the project aims to deliver a series of publications (both popular and academic) on the subject, thus further raising the awareness of this rich cultural resource on national and international level.

This document reports on the results of the second season of Traditional Architecture of Ras al- ... more This document reports on the results of the second season of Traditional Architecture of Ras al- Khaimah Project (TradArch_2019, Phase IB). The project was set up to record the rich vernacular architecture of the Emirate, which is unique within the UAE wide region in having apparent diversity as well as a large numbers of traditional buildings still upstanding. The rich variety of this heritage resource is a result of a unique history of the Emirate that is reflected in its architectural legacy– with the architecture providing a tangible, but promptly diminishing, link with the past.
The second season of the TradArch Project drew on the methodology and dataset from the first/pilot season (2018), introducing several improvements, consisting of utilising a fully digital way of recording, with data entered directly onto database. This allowed for greater efficacy and speed to be achieved in the field resulting a much greater number of recorded sites, with concomitant creation and updates of geodatabase package.
A substantial body of research regarding the traditional architecture, has been carried out within the Ras al-Khaimah Emirate previously. Nevertheless, most of these studies were too narrowly focused or too general and thus none have covered the entire Emirate in a concerted and systematic way, to provide the basis for a national dataset of traditional and culturally important architecture.
The key premise for carrying out the TradArch Project is to digitally map and assess extent traditional architecture in the country, with resultant geodatabase package providing key usable data for planning control and heritage assets protection. It is envisaged that locating and describing these assets in a systematic manner will substantially enhance the existing record and make the resource more accessible for further study, as well as more appreciated by the general public, both local citizens and tourists visiting Ras al-Khaimah.
It is further anticipated that this documentation will form a useful basis for the imminent National Sites and Monuments Record (NSMR), which will eventually list all heritage assets within the Ras al-Khaimah Emirate.
It is further hoped that highlighting prime heritage structures in need of urgent conservation works or further study will make important step towards saving and understanding this key heritage resource for the future generations.

This document reports on the results of the first season of Traditional Architecture of Ras al-Kh... more This document reports on the results of the first season of Traditional Architecture of Ras al-Khaimah Project (TradArch_2018). The project was designed to record the apparent diversity of vernacular architecture of the Emirate, which has an incredibly rich history that is reflected in its architectural legacy. The upstanding architecture provides a tangible, but promptly disappearing, link with the past.
A substantial body of research regarding the traditional architecture, has been carried out within the Ras al-Khaimah Emirate previously. Nevertheless, most of these studies were too narrowly focused or too general and thus none have covered the entire Emirate in a concerted and systematic way, to provide the basis for a national dataset of traditional and culturally important architecture.
The research carried out thus far and planned for the near future, as part of the TradArch Project, intends to enhance existing material; map all available traditional architecture and provide key data for planning control and heritage assets protection. It is envisaged that locating and describing these assets in a systematic manner will make the resource more accessible for further academic study, as well as more appreciated by the public.
It is further anticipated that this documentation will form a useful basis for the imminent Sites and Monuments Record (SMR), which will list all heritage assets within the Ras al- Khaimah Emirate. In addition to this, the project is to deliver a series of publications (both popular and academic) on the subject, thus further raising the awareness of this rich cultural resource on national and international level.
It is hoped that highlighting prime heritage structures in need of urgent conservation works or further study will make important step towards saving of this key heritage resource for the future generations.

This report contains a synthesis of the historical narrative and a detailed historic building rec... more This report contains a synthesis of the historical narrative and a detailed historic building record (HBR), placing the current Museum building into its historic context and providing phasing of the entire structure. Although the main focus of the documentary research is on the earlier 19th century, when the current and the predecessor Forts were constructed, and beyond, the historical narrative begins somewhat earlier– in later 16th century, considering briefly the development of fortifications in the region. It then continues to the year of 1809, a time of the First British Expedition against Ras Al Khaimah, and later the construction of the first Fort (c.1816-1819), and its subsequent destruction at the hands of the British and East India Company troops during the Second British Expedition (1819). The evolution and constructional history of the second Fort is then examined by melding documentary and cartographic evidence with over 3500 images and onsite observations. These suggest a complex development of the fortification (present Fort) from a single square tower through iterative evolution to the final square Fort (c.1830s), mirroring almost exactly the footprint of the present Fort with two angular towers.
After a long period of serving as primarily a defensive bulwark, the Fort was converted to the Palace residence of the ruling Qawasim family in the early 20th century, with the structure retaining snippets of structural changes that accompanied this transformation of its purpose, notably the first simple wind-tower. Throughout the first half and early second half of the 20th century the Fort continued to be used as a residence of the Ruler and, through its built, it relates a remarkable tale of socio-economic and technological changes taking place in Ras Al Khaimah during this period, while at the same time remaining steadfastly traditional. A machine gun tower was inserted into the early 19th century fabric of the Fort at the northwest angle, and the emblematic wind-tower replaced with a more modern and embellished construction, which too was later supplanted by the latest air conditioning units installed throughout the structure. In a strange but somehow fitting circumstances, the old cannon ports were utilised as openings for modern ACUs, blending the new and the old aspects of the structure together. Correspondingly, modern offices and living spaces created in the second half of the 20th century coexisted (and still do) with more traditional rooms and majlis areas. At approximately the same time the first school in the Emirate was opened and housed in the tents outside the Fort, shaded by its walls, therefore adding another, altruistic, dimension to its ever-increasing repertoire of function, all because of vision of its Ruler, Sheikh Saqr bin Moḥammad Al Qasimi. The Fort briefly reverted back to more military character, when it ceased to function as a Ruler’s residence and was subsequently converted to a police station and prison (1966-1984).
This was not to be its last purpose, however, as it was again transformed, this time to the National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah, which opened in 1987, a place where the story of the thousands of years of history of the Emirate and its peoples is told. Of course, the tale of the Fort is inextricably entwined with people who either envisioned it, built it, altered it or used it, each of these would have left their mark on the structure and vice versa. It is telling that the place was as important to its late Ruler, Sheikh Saqr bin Moḥammad Al Qasimi, as he returned to the Fort to spend his final years there, surrounded by familiar settings and, no doubt, happy childhood memories. The Museum re-opened again in 2010 and is currently being prepared for further renovations in order to insure its survival in the future and to adapt the aging structure to the 21st century standards. With carefully guided and well-though out restoration work, substantially aided by the present document, the 200 years old monument will live on as a fascinating window into the past, to be enjoyed by many generations to come.

Magazine Articles by Hana Kdolska

PAST, 2020

The coastal mudflats and dune cliffs known as Hedderwick Sands are situated to the west of Dunbar... more The coastal mudflats and dune cliffs known as Hedderwick Sands are situated to the west of Dunbar and the south of Tyningehame Bay in East Lothian. Collection of flints leads to the pinpointing of the lost Neolithic site, first uncovered in the 1920s, and also reveals a World War II defensive site. The test pitting and walkover survey in both the inland area and beach resulted in the recovery of further lithics, all of which belong to the Late Neolithic.

Reports and Grey Literature by Hana Kdolska

Papers by Hana Kdolska

Archaeology on Furlough, 2020

PAST, 2020

Archaeopress , 2021

Archaeology Reports Online, 2021

Proc Soc Antiq Scot, 2010

TAFAC, 2012

Tayside and Fife Archaeological Journal, 2011

PAST, 2020

The coastal mudflats and dune cliffs known as Hedderwick Sands are situated to the west of Dunbar... more The coastal mudflats and dune cliffs known as Hedderwick Sands are situated to the west of Dunbar and the south of Tyningehame Bay in East Lothian. Collection of flints leads to the pinpointing of the lost Neolithic site, first uncovered in the 1920s, and also reveals a World War II defensive site. The test pitting and walkover survey in both the inland area and beach resulted in the recovery of further lithics, all of which belong to the Late Neolithic.