Dig It!
Dig It! is a hub for Scottish archaeology coordinated by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. It helps the Society work towards its strategic aims, particularly encouraging and improving access to heritage and promoting the sharing of knowledge.
Dig It! enhances the presentation of archaeological information through various initiatives and online articles written by the team and experts, including several Fellows. The project also sources free (or low-cost) events from across the sector for the public with no experience required.
Archaeology is all about discovering Scotland’s stories
Click below to dig into the project and explore Scottish archaeology
Dig It!’s vision is a Scotland where everyone benefits from archaeology. The project’s mission is to increase understanding of and engagement with archaeology for Scotland-based audiences by providing innovative promotion and support to the heritage sector and enabling other sectors and excluded communities to connect with archaeology in ways that are relevant to them. Dig It!’s values are inclusion, collaboration and activism.
All of Dig It!’s work is linked to Scotland’s Archaeology Strategy, including the annual Scotland Digs campaigns which promote the summer fieldwork season and the free Minecraft maps of Scottish sites made available through Crafting the Past.
Since 2021, Dig It! has supported the Make Your Mark initiative which aims to increase the number and diversity of heritage volunteers, teamed up with Jambo! Radio to help with their Our Heritage project and is working with game design company Stout Stoat Press to create a new tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) about the Picts.
Dig It! is also involved with initiatives such as the Equality, Diversity And Inclusion In Scottish Heritage (EDISH) Project, helps partner organisations secure funding to promote Scottish archaeology, commissions creatives, coordinates knowledge-sharing events by supporting the Scottish Heritage Social Media Group, and more.
Previous iterations – Dig It! 2015 and Dig It! 2017 – were co-ordinated by both the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and Archaeology Scotland. In addition to advertising over 2,500 events, highlights from these projects include the Dig Art! 2015 competition, Building History which brought together construction and archaeology students, and the Scotland in Six celebrations on World Heritage Day and Hidden Gems campaign which were both part of Scotland’s Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology 2017.
Dig It! is primarily funded by Historic Environment Scotland.
Image: Crafting the Past build (Credit: Immersive Minds)