Level 1 — Absolute Beginner

In Glasgow, Scotland, there is an old church called Govan Old. It is 1,500 years old.

People are digging in the churchyard there. They are archaeologists and volunteers who love history.

They found something special: a place where people made jewelry a long, long time ago. They found an unfinished ring made of dark stone called shale.

Long ago, important people lived at Govan. They were called the Clyde Britons. This ring shows what jewelry they liked to wear.

church

a building where Christians worship

dig

to remove earth to find old objects

archaeologist

a scientist who studies old objects from the past

volunteer

a person who works without being paid

jewelry

objects worn for decoration, like rings or necklaces

unfinished

not yet completed

stone

a hard natural material found in the ground

important

having great value or influence

Level 2 — Elementary

Archaeologists and community volunteers digging in the churchyard of Govan Old, a 1,500-year-old site in Glasgow, Scotland, have found evidence of an early medieval jewelry workshop.

Among the discoveries was an unfinished finger ring made from shale, a dark rock. Archaeologists call this kind of unfinished piece a "roughout."

The ring gives new evidence about the jewelry styles worn by high-status people who lived at Govan between 1,000 and 1,500 years ago. During that time, Govan Old was an important center for both religion and royal power.

The dark shale may have been used to copy the look of jet, a rarer and more expensive material. Similar jewelry pieces were also found during excavations in the 1990s.

The dig is part of a project called "Dig Where You Stand," launched in 2023 by the Govan Heritage Trust. Volunteers and archaeologists from Clyde Archaeology are working together on the excavation.

medieval

relating to the Middle Ages, a period in European history

finger ring

a piece of jewelry worn on a finger

roughout

an unfinished object shaped roughly before final details are added

high-status

having an important or respected position in society

religion

belief in and worship of a god or gods

royal

relating to a king, queen, or their family

excavation

the careful digging up of an archaeological site

heritage

valued traditions and objects passed down from earlier times

Level 3 — Intermediate

Archaeologists and community volunteers excavating the churchyard of Govan Old, a site in Glasgow with roots stretching back roughly 1,500 years, have uncovered evidence of an early medieval jewelry workshop.

Among the finds was an unfinished finger ring carved from shale, a dark, easily worked rock; archaeologists refer to such a partially shaped piece as a "roughout," a stage in production before final polishing and detailing.

The discovery offers fresh insight into the jewelry fashions favored by high-status inhabitants of Govan between roughly 1,000 and 1,500 years ago, a period when the site functioned as a royal and religious center for the Clyde Britons, an early medieval people of the region.

Researchers suspect the dark shale was deliberately chosen to imitate jet, a rarer and costlier material associated with elite adornment, and the new find complements similar shale jewelry recovered during excavations in the 1990s.

The current dig forms part of "Dig Where You Stand," a community archaeology initiative launched in 2023 by the Govan Heritage Trust and carried out with volunteers and Clyde Archaeology, concentrating on the southeastern portion of the churchyard, including trenches first opened in 1996 for the television program Time Team.

excavate

to dig carefully to uncover buried objects or structures

inhabitant

a person who lives in a particular place

adornment

an object used to decorate or beautify something, such as the body

elite

a select group considered superior in status or wealth

complement

to add to something in a way that improves or completes it

initiative

a new plan or project undertaken to achieve a goal

trench

a long narrow excavation dug into the ground

portion

a part of a larger whole

Level 4 — Advanced

Archaeologists working alongside community volunteers at Govan Old, a churchyard in Glasgow whose origins reach back some fifteen centuries, have unearthed evidence of an early medieval jewelry-making workshop.

Among the recovered material is an unfinished shale finger ring, a form archaeologists term a "roughout," denoting an object shaped to its rough final dimensions but not yet subjected to the polishing and fine detailing that would have preceded its use.

The find furnishes fresh evidence of the ornamental tastes of the high-status inhabitants who occupied Govan between roughly one and one and a half millennia ago, a period in which the site served as a preeminent royal and ecclesiastical center for the Clyde Britons.

Researchers surmise that the dark shale was selected deliberately to approximate the appearance of jet, a scarcer and more highly prized material long associated with elite adornment, a hypothesis reinforced by comparable shale jewelry recovered during excavations conducted in the 1990s.

The present campaign forms part of "Dig Where You Stand," a community archaeology initiative inaugurated in 2023 under the auspices of the Govan Heritage Trust and conducted in partnership with volunteers and Clyde Archaeology, with efforts concentrated on the churchyard's southeastern quadrant, including trenches originally opened in 1996 for the television series Time Team.

unearth

to discover something buried by digging it up

denote

to indicate or be a sign of something

ornamental

serving to decorate rather than to serve a practical function

millennium

a period of one thousand years

preeminent

surpassing all others; most prominent

ecclesiastical

relating to the church or organized religion

surmise

to form an idea or opinion without firm evidence

auspices

the protection or support of a particular organization