“Saddle Sore”

Up Yer
Kilt
“Saddle Sore”
Issue 3
Welcome to “Up Yer Kilt” edition 3
Well guys and galls we are onto edition three of Up Yer kilt and I must say
you have done us proud with your articles again. There is always anticipation when you start something new and you hope you are doing something
worthwhile and that people are going to like it. So far everyone has been
very positive towards the magazine and for this we would like to thank
you.
I would also like to emphasize the importance of you sending your articles
in to us, without which this magazine would cease to exist, they don't have
to be long , they don't have to be written well, even if you don't want to
write it email us, and we will write it for you , show us a photo of your best
find and tell us all how you found your best find or even the time you
stepped in the cowpat, anything and everything will go in as long as its not
derogatory or political so please write something and be part of your
magazine.
What has amazed me about this great hobby since I started only a year ago
is the amount of new friends I have made and what great help you get
from all the forums and the people that frequent these great websites.
I have been lucky that a lot of experienced detectorists have given me
advice and invited me to go digging with them which I did. These guys
helped me immensely and in return I have taken some new people onto my
farms and gave them some of the great advice I got. On passing on this
good will again and again will only benefit all who join and they can pass it
on as well to people that join this hobby and they can benefit too.
It has been a busy three months for the magazine with lots of forum digs
going on with the start of the new season. Reports on most of them will be
in the magazine for you to read about
Also may I introduce you to the newest member of the “Up Yer Kilt” team
Bill McIntosh aka Sword@sceptre. Bill has agreed to be part of our team
and we would like to welcome him and thank him for agreeing to help out.
Bill has 20 years experience of detecting and resides in the Perth area of
Scotland.
In the last edition we had a competition with three prizes of a Whites
pinpoint probe, a Whites detector bag
and a set of Whites earphones all
gratefully supplied by Whites
Electronics these were won by 1st Colin
(Vespaman see picture) 2nd Susana and
3rd Colin (Chunky5211)
Congratulations to all our winners.
Hopefully we will be having another
competition in the Christmas Edition.
Happy hunting,
Shug
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An Elusive Yellow Find
Recounting A Past Glory
by Joe98
It’s hard to believe that I have now been in the hobby of
metal detecting for thirty five years for I started a way way
back in the mists of September 1977 at the age of 17 (Just as
the Romans were leaving Scotland).
Over the years I have found thousands of old coins and a few older bits and pieces
as well from time to time.
Currently I am still using the Garrett Ace 250 and Ace 150 and a C.Scope
CS770XD.
During my detecting expeditions of 2006, with a group of friends also using their
new Garrett’s we headed back to some older haunts.
We had thought these haunts to be completely worked out and found to our
surprise a vast amount of finds at deeper depths that our older detectors had missed
out on.
Judging from these varying deeper depths we were achieving it was easy to see
quite clearly that our older detectors wouldn’t have been able to get these targets
easily anyway.
Finds made with the Garrett’s came up thick and fast and more than half of these
finds were smaller in size.
We also noted that for the first time ever that instead of just finding two or three
coins each in a session each we were coming away with as much as half a dozen
coins each.
Strange Artefact and Tiny Hammered
As well as coins, artefacts have been on the steady increase as well and I came up
with one or two strange pieces myself.
For instance one favourite being a
creepy lead bat like creature that is
still pretty much a mystery to me
and had left me wondering if
perhaps it should have been reburied back where it was found.
Whether you believe in the
superstition and the supernatural or
not this lead winged creature object
has a sinister look to it.
But I still have it and it is one of the
most curious finds I have come
across.
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One friend of mine Jim had always
come up with just as bizarre an items
as I did too.
One of which is a strange figure of a
long faced man wearing a hat that we
Have suspected may be a piece of a
pipe tamper although we are not
entirely sure of its age and another
piece of metal cast in copper alloy or
bronze that kind of looks like a crude
initial letter “A”,.
The latter came from a site that is
medieval so it could have been used
thereabouts.
The start of the new detecting season
always brings one feelings anticipation
of great joy and excitement and that
was to prove right on one specific
occasion.
For one such field where friends
already found quite a lot in the past
looked very inviting to search again
with very short stubble to contend
with.
So I made a start for this.
This field had once been the home to a castle that disappeared sometime at the turn
of the 19th century and although there are no known pictures or diagrams of the said
castle one can only guess roughly where it may have stood.
We generally find that if all you have to go on is the “site of,” on old maps that early
cartographers may have been either bang on or just slightly out with there
estimations.
In the above case we think the cartographers have been pretty much spot on.
Of course without knowing what the castle had looked like or how it may have stood
positioned in the landscape is another guess.
I did a slow methodical search with my Ace 250, over the ground I had already
searched during the last season.
The detector still picked up quite a lot of residual pieces of lead probably from the
castle, a number of small lead pistol balls and a couple of buttons.
A worn Scottish coin a 17th century hammered turner variety came up easily from
just over four inches and then I went on to find a Victorian halfpenny and a worn
George II or III farthing from the same sort of depths.
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Just before it was time for taking a break for lunch I managed to find a fragment of
what looked like a broken hammered penny but its a little hard to tell as it came up
pure black in colour.
A crude yet decorated bronze ring was then
found and is a bit of a puzzle because it is such
an unusual piece that it has me wondering if it
may not have been an archers finger ring.
After a spot of lunch I resumed the search and
found while digging up an iffy signal which
sounded off as a bell tone in one direction and
then would go quiet in the other direction a bit
of a surprise.
For fingering through loose soil at a depth of
around the five inch mark I found what must be
the tiniest fragment of a hammered coin I have
ever found.
Being very tiny and delicate I found it to be
another Scottish coin either in silver or part
silver for it has a cross on one side with stars or
spur rowels showing in the cross segments
(indicating Scottish).
Generally speaking the coin isn’t in the best of
conditions but even so I am surprised that it
hasn’t been entirely destroyed by various acids that go through the soil.
Taking pictures of the coin has been difficult and I could make out certain lettering
around the legend on the portrait side as well as the worn image of a crowned head.
Judging from the coin size I am assuming that it is a farthing and probably of Alexander, Robert, David.
I suspect it to be a Robert probably.
The following day we were back at the same site picking up from where we had left
off and still slow searching.
Now there’s a thing I don’t see everyday?
In my slow yet methodical searching I recovered yet more pieces of lead and copper
alloy fragments, some more coins of Victoria then by midday I was ready for a break
and a hot cup of tea was a welcome relief as it was getting colder and windy.
After the welcome break and a blether I took the Garrett and walked slowly swinging
the coil in the different direction I had come from before lunch and working in close
proximity to a friend.
Just as we were splitting up to go in different directions I received a loud good
sounding middle toned signal and looking at the LCD screen noted the cursor was
sitting directly under the “ring-pull tab”, symbol.
5
The depth indicated four inches so digging a hole I managed to pinpoint precisely the
target in a small lump of loose of earth.
Rolling this small lump over in my hand my eyes were drawn to the edge of a coin
sticking out from it and I thought now there’s a thing I don’t see everyday.
For what I was looking at was a milled edge of a coin however this time round it
wasn’t one of the usual dull silver ones I am more accustomed to finding for this one
was distinctively yellow.
Calling my friend back over to see what I had just found I carefully broke open the
earth lump and we were presented with the
young head of Queen Victoria staring back
at us turning the coin over we could see a
shield.
The Garrett had made its first gold coin find
that of a half sovereign dated 1871.
This was the first gold coin I had found in
sixteen years for I have only ever found one
other yellow coin which too was a young
head Victorian half sovereign but slightly
later in date back 1891.
Once again the accuracy of the Garrett was
spot on for although the cursor was sitting directly under the pull-tab symbol it sits
directly within the “Gold and Bronze,” marker.
We then did a systematic search of the find area just to be on the safe side but at the
present time only the one half sovereign has come to light so far.
Future searches may bring another to light we shall just have to wait patiently and see.
Joe
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Scotland's Largest & Longest Ever Rally
Be Part Of It
Sept 30th, 1st, 2nd, 3rd Oct 2011
We will be based two minutes drive from Linlithgow a beautiful town with
its palace and great little shops. It also has a superstore and great bus service to Edinburgh & Stirling so the wife’s can go and visit the shops while
you detect!!
We will have
1.Marquee
2.Traders
3.Charity Raffle (Help The Hero's) prize donations welcome
4.Free Camping for Tents & Caravans
5.Water hose
6.Medic on site
7.Wardens
8.Fresh land each day
9.Some of our wardens are going to do a Barbeque
and the money raised will go to “Help The Hero’s.”
10. Portoloo's
Prices Are
1 Day £15.00
2 Days £30.00
3 Days £40.00
4 Days £50.00
You can pay by secure paypal website with your credit card or Paypal
account. If you would like to send a cheque or postal order
please send it to
(Payable) Colin Irvine
125 Falkirk Rd
Bonnybridge
Stirlingshire
FK4 1BA
Please state
1. Your name
2. Whether Camping with Tent Or Van
3. If you have F.I.D or NCMD liability Insurance
4. What days you want and when you are going to arrive
5. Contact Info - e-mail or Telephone.
Weekend or Friday Detectorists can start to arrive on
Thursday Afternoon after 1300
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Lintlithgow 2011
by Morayhunter
Even the heilien men are coming doon
fae hill and glen and toons ,from ah aroon
a massive Scottish rally, for ane and all
gold and silver, in the ground there may be
but iron scrap in loads will be found, I bet ye.
etrac and whites, and fishers too will abound
among the motley crew.
Big coils, little coils and pinpoint probes
spades and grapes ,trowels and picks, tae dig the
holes
then a shout gangs up, a hammered found
just like wildfire the word goes aroond
like flies roon shite, abody gathers to have a look
it could be a rare ane, last seen in a book.
The daylight goes and batteries flat
with weary feet and tired back
a barbie and drink to savour,
time to tell yarns and have a haver
so thanks to toddy for his forethought
also to those who’s tickets are bought
and all the best in this, his biggest endeavour
the biggest Scottish dectector rally ever.
The Scottish Wars of Independence
Edward I (Langshanks) appeared in Linlithgow in 1291 and again in 1296,
seeking to assert his authority over Scotland, and several local notables
pledged their allegiance to him. In 1298 he camped at the Burgh Muir to the
east of the town on his way to defeat William Wallace at the battle of
Falkirk. He stayed here in 1301- 02 and constructed the "Peel" a fortified
wooden palisade surrounding the present day park of the same name.
Edward II stayed here in 1310 but was defeated by Robert the Bruce at
Bannockburn in 1314 and the Peel was probably returned to Scottish
ownership after the battle. There is a story that local farmer William
Bunnock stopped his hay cart under the entry gate, preventing the
drawbridge from closing, and that armed men concealed in the cart
subdued the guard and occupied the Peel for a time during Bruce's
guerrilla activities.
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Silver working
by Brian Stobbs
This is a story of a metal detecting episode I had many years
ago, in fact it is now almost some 25 years ago. It was near
Hadrian’s Wall but not on any of the scheduled areas and
what was so strange about it is that I began to get a detector
signal from a small stone, so I pushed it aside with my foot
and found that the signal had gone and it was not until I
picked it up a turned it over that I discovered the reason for
the signal.
It was not a stone at all but a small fragment of Amphora pottery and may well
have been a piece of the pointed end of the amphora pot that had been used as a
crucible for it was impregnated on the inside of it’s curve with silver. This piece
of amphora just lay in a finds box where at times I would ponder over it and try
to imagine just who had been melting this silver all those years ago.
Then some time later when detecting near the same place with a friend he came
along to me and said “is this lead or is it silver” I almost fell over backward for
in his hand was what I thought to be a piece of a silver ingot. It was with great
excitement that I thought about my piece of amphora from earlier and I just
had to have this find if he would agree to it. Then after a discussion about it my
friend was agreeable to let me have the ingot,
we came to a happy arrangement about it and I
now have both my piece of amphora crucible
and this small piece of an ingot.
It is maybe here that I should pause for a
moment to discuss craftsmanship for here I am
now with what may have been a crucible a
small piece of an ingot and also evidence that
some one maybe a craftsman from Roman times
was working in silver here in a Roman vicus
( village ) on Hadrian’s Wall. I would also like
to say that without appearing arrogant in any
way I would like to put all modesty aside to say
that I consider myself also as a craftsman, in
fact a Roman craftsman for I have now over
thirty years re-produced Roman armour
weaponry and many other artefacts. There is indeed much of my work on
display at museums not only along Hadrian’s Wall but also at museums in
Scotland that also promote the Roman history of our area here in the north.
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When reading things about Roman craftsmanship concerning decorative
artefacts of precious metals such as silver and gold, one often comes across
archaeological statements which claim that such things would have been
made at fabrica ( factories or workshops ) else where other than at frontier
places such as that of the north western fringes of the Roman Empire. What
becomes evident here with these particular finds is that precious metal
working was indeed being carried out at a frontier level, and in fact at wall
forts where rings brooches and even decorative work on many other things
could well have been created here.
Where mentioned earlier that I have created Roman equipment I did some
years ago re-produce the Vindolanda and Trimontium horse chamfrons
( face masks ) that were found in excavations at these frontier places.
The original one from Trimontium was excavated from a pit and had been
left there when the 9th Cohort of Batavians moved south to Vindolanda in a
withdrawal from Scotland in about 98 ad. The later Vindolanda one was
found in a situation dating to around 104 ad and could well indeed have been
made at this fort, for there is much evidence to show that Roman
leatherwork was going on at this place.
Therefore we have yet again another
situation of skilled craftsmanship
going on in the northern frontier area,
and not simply being shipped in from
other areas of the Empire.
I think it is time that many people
should begin to look at this northern
frontier area with a much more
different point of view, for up to now
there are so many including some
academics who still have the opinion
that Hadrian’s Wall was a rigidly
manned frontier with troops looking
out over the battlements waiting for the
savage Scottish hoards coming down
upon them. This is indeed not the true
situation at all for most of the time
there would have been peace and
prosperity going on between the
Romans and the tribes on the other side
of this wall. In fact even in Scotland way beyond this boarder there were
Romans who I’m sure would have exchanged very good trade relations with
each other and lived in peace and harmony.
I think it may well be time that I take these remarkable finds and impart such
an interesting piece of knowledge and information not only to the general
public but also to the archaeological world.
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The Seven Ages of Metal Detecting
Money
Girls
Money
Money
Girls
Detector
Money
Wife
Treasure
Treasure
Kids
Detector
Treasure
Grandkids
Time
Pain
Treasure
Time
Pain
Toilet
Bed
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My First Ever Dig
by Paula Fulton
My first ever dig was with an organised rally with Toddy and some fellow
members on 20th March near Torwood.
I was quite daunted by the fact that everyone I had previously spoken to
seemed so heavily armed with knowledge, gadgets, and what's more
experience! but I was determined to start this hobby that interested 'ME'
for a change, headstrong in this fact I managed to persuade my husband to
come along for moral support,( having said that he had a sportsman’s
dinner the night before and had a sore head to say the least and was in no
pleasant mood for watching a woman consumed with intent swaying her
arms back and forth around a field). I gave absolutely no mercy or
sympathy, I have watched Rangers and Rugby far too much over the years
and dug my heels in "your coming Douglas" (note the Douglas as Douggie
just wouldn’t have put my point forward).
So my Minelab XTerra 505 of which I purchased new over 6 years ago was
now eventually going to be used, to be frank I really didn't care what I
found those little beeps were addictive.... its like being a born again child
ripping open Xmas presents with the rush of adrenalin as I pared away the
ground to find rusty old horse shoes, nails, bits of ploughs, cola cans and all
such memorabilia even though i knew the dull tone of trash I just had to
have a peep and see. Without mercy for my husband with trusted spade in
hand I was like the digging est dog!
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The time just flew past and when I cared to look it was past 3pm, my poor husband
was done in and the effects of the night before were certainly taking its toll of him
(LOL) he needed a rest so I spotted a small corner at the top of the field that had a few
tree stumps that he could sit on, whilst there I suddenly got the high pitch beep that I
had searched for all day hmm maybe a mistake.....no its showing 27
OMG!!........pinpoint, pinpoint with what I can only describe as pure lust I grabbed
that bl**dy spade and dug! this was AKIN to pass the parcel when you was young and
the prize was within your grasp and the music had
stopped lol, and there it was my pride and joy, the fish
to my chips, the egg for my cup, my saddlers badge!
overwhelmed and stunned I turned to my poor
forlorn husband and thanked him as if it was not for
his poor head we would never have stopped at those
trees for him to rest.
There are two fantastic outcomes from my first
organised dig as Douggie is now as enthusiastic of this
hobby as I am and has purchased a new detector, plus
a good lesson learnt don't get drunk the night before!
Regards
the Fultons,
Douggie and Paula
Proud to be Scottish
After having dug to a depth of 10 feet last year, Canadian archaeologists found
traces of copper wire dating back 200 years and came to the conclusion that their
ancestors already had a telephone network more than 150 years ago.
Not to be outdone by their neighbours, in the weeks that followed, an American
archaeologist dug to a depth of 20 feet, and shortly after, a story was published in
the New York Times:
"American archaeologists, finding traces of 250-year-old
copper wire, have concluded that their ancestors already
had an advanced high-tech communications network 50
years earlier than the Canadians".
One week later, the Scottish authorities reported the
following:
"After digging as deep as 30 feet in North Lanarkshire,
Jock Arkwright, a self- taught archaeologist, reported that
he found absolutely nothing.
Jock has therefore concluded that 250 years ago, Scotland
had already gone wireless."
Just makes you proud to be Scottish, don't it!
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“One Small Needle in a Rather Large Haystack”
by Mitchell Scott
I had been trying to obtain new land from a farmer who has a large field in between land that we
already detect in, but permission was not forthcoming, so we just gave up on it. Then Thursday I
received a phone call out of the blue from the farmers son asking if we were still metal detecting, to
which I replied yes indeed, well I have a proposition for you, I have lost a linkage bar from my
plough if you can find it, you can detect on any of my land, out of season of course. "aye nae bother"
I replied, meet me in the field and you can give me a rough idea of it`s whereabouts, showing I was
keen, I dropped what I was doing and drove to field to meet him, I jumped out of car and walked up
to tractor, he opened the door and pointed to the area he thought it was in.
"my that`s a large area " (rough translation to what I actually said). No problem, leave it with me,
I phoned my mate James to assist in finding this "needle
in haystack quest". Next day I finished work earlier and
started the search.
First dig was a marker at the end of he furrow then turned
machine to all metal mode and I was off ,due to dry heavy
clay soil and uneven surface low n slow not an option,
I would have ended up losing my search coil if contact had
been made with the ridges, I`m now stumbling about like a
drunk man due to surface breaking away, my words to
farmer "Aye nae bother" now lodged firmly in my throat, as
I`m ambling and stumbling but the thought of gaining this
land when back to stubble was enough to keep me going.
I got iron signals very frequently, but pinpoint facility on machine told me the item was not size I was
after, saving a lot of unproductive digging, I know the reader will be saying by now what happened
to James? I know that’s what I was saying at the time after I
had covered twenty ridges myself!.
So first night, got a George 2nd penny ,a gold coloured button
(OMG I thought it was a coin!!) ring pulls, a cold chisel and a
bucket tooth from a JCB or similar and that was speed
detecting.
Next day was Saturday morning to which I was joined by
James ,"good grief" he said ( rough translation) where do you
start, I showed him the holes at end of furrows and we
searched either side which was covering more ground faster,
about three hours of that and we were both really tired but
we had covered nearly all the area pointed out to me by the farmer so we took rest of day off to recuperate and watched football.
The third day I managed to the field was Tuesday, work was slow so I nipped out for an hour ( took
a furlough to search the furrow). Switched on the detector, all
metal mode, head down and staggered off taking a three ridge
sweep as I went slowly along, I hit a cracking target to which
I had to dig, turned out to be a Irish halfpenny of George 2nd,
motive restored again! Head back down next three ridges,
dug my marker hole and walked about twelve feet when
another cracking target met my ears. It came up as
non-ferrous but remember the ground is hollow under the
ridges, so I dug and swept and the signal was stronger, down
about eight inches I stuck spade in and clunk I had hit the
target swept away loose earth, to be greeted by a big, beautiful, lump of black steel.
Mission complete!
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One big needle in a helluva big haystack.
BUSTS ON ROMAN COINS THAT MAY BE FOUND IN BRITAIN
Valerian 1 235—260.
P. Licinius Valerianus was born in 195 AD. Holding many offices of state until
he was 60 years old when, on the death of Gallus, his troops proclaimed him
emperor. In 253AD. he invaded Italy and became joint ruler of the Roman Empire
with his son, Gallienus. In 260 he was captured by the Persians and remained in
captivity for the rest of his life. The only Roman emperor captured in battle.
Gallienus 238—268.
P. Licinius Egnatius Gallienus, son of Valerian, was made co-emperor on his father’s
elevation in 253 AD. After Valerian’s capture Gallienus became sole ruler of the
empire. He was murdered at the siege of Milan by the commander of the Dalmatian
cavalry a mobile strike force that he had created during his reform of the army.
Postumus 259—268.
M. Cassianius Latinius Postumus although of humble birth was a soldier of
considerable ability. He was made commander of the Rhine legions by Valerian. In
259 he rebelled against Gallienus and ruled Gaul, Spain and Britain until 268AD.
When he was murdered by his own troops at Mainz.
Claudius 11 GOTHICUS 268—270.
M. Aurelius Claudius was born about 215AD. Being an able soldier he rose to
become one of the highest regarded generals. When Gallienus was assassinated
Claudius was proclaimed emperor . In 269 AD. Although outnumbered he defeated
the Goths in a great battle that earned him the name Gothicus. He died of a plague
caught from Goths who survived the Battle.
Victorinus 268—270.
M. Piavonius Victorinus succeeded to the throne of the Gallic Empire in 268 AD.
Spain refused to recognise him and central Gaul revolted. He suppressed the
revolt in 270 AD. When he captured the city of Autun after a seven month siege. He
built up anger among his officials by seducing their wives and was killed by one of
his own officials after making sexual advances to his wife.
Tetricus 270—273.
C.Pius Esuvius Tetricus was the governor of Aquitania and on the death of
Victorinus he succeeded to the throne due to the influence of Victoria the mother of
Victorinus. When Aurelian invaded Gaul Tetricus surrendered to him. In an act of
clemency Aurelian spared the lives of Tetricus and his son, they lived their lives out
peacefully in Rome.
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