Building (Ancient) Lives: new perspectives on the past for a sustainable future

Dr Tanja Romankiewicz’s research analyses archaeological remains of early architectures to understand the strategies of past communities in creating their built environment.

Reconstructing a prehistoric wattle screen and turf wall at Errol, Perthshire, for the un-melting landscape art project.

Dr Tanja Romankiewicz’s research analyses archaeological remains of early architectures to understand the strategies of past communities in creating their built environment, and aims to deepen the link of local communities with their past by informing decisions on their current built environment by the practices of people living in the same area thousands of years earlier.

In February 2016, Dr Romankiewicz worked with the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and National Museums Scotland (NMS) as part of the Year of Architecture 2016 initiative. Dr Romankiewicz, along with two other speakers, participated in an event organised by the Society and hosted at NMS ‘6,000 years of architecture’ where she was asked to identify three examples of architectural innovation and design by the earliest people of Scotland. Dr Romankiewicz also explained how concepts of architecture thousands of years old can be highly relevant for modern sustainable building. Significant secondary reach was achieved via social media and the STV website.

A summary of the project.

Given the building industry’s need to reduce carbon output by 80% to meet UK target by 2050, the understanding of strategies (and failures) of past societies regarding their built environment can help to stimulate the development of new buildings and materials for a sustainable future. The “Building (Ancient) Lives” project will analyse archaeological evidence for pre- and proto-historic structures in an innovative dialogue with modern sustainable architecture. The methodology was developed from Dr Romankiewicz’s particular skill sets and knowledge in both disciplines. The explicitly architectural and ecological perspective will include but also reach beyond conventional archaeological studies.

In collaboration with academic colleagues, architects, structural engineers, artists, policy makers and local communities the project does not seek to endorse direct parallels from prehistoric times – not everybody would want to live in a roundhouse – but to explore constants through time in:

  • materials and their resourcing,
  • structural and physical performances of buildings,
  • formation and affirmation of households and communities via the medium of domestic architecture.

The impact of the project globally.

To address sustainability meaningfully involves taking a local perspective, assessing data for small, locally-based communities, in impact-sensitive environments. Prehistoric Scotland presents an excellent case study. Its wet and windy climate challenges constructions of locally-sourced materials to reveal the builders’ experience and experiments. Marginal uplands and alluvial landscapes are sensitive to environmental changes, which can be tested for human or natural impacts. Of particular interest are periods of change: when sedentariness became the norm, when iron was used for tools, when regionally-operating societies were impacted by the first global systems and mass goods exchange of the Roman world and subsequently transformed into Early Medieval networks. Intriguing changes from round to rectangular house forms or from timber to stone are not necessarily environmentally determined, and require architectural analysis.

To evaluate rural vs global and environmental vs cultural impacts the project will compare case studies from Britain, Ireland, Scandinavia and the Continent. Workshops and a colloquium with archaeologists and architects have already provided feedback and inspiration for new analyses of the archaeological record and to frame potential input for modern planning and building. Palaeo-environmental analyses are similarly needed to improve our understanding of prehistoric natural resource management.

The project wishes to build: 

  • a deeper understanding of the relationship between ancient people and their built environment,
  • resilient communities for the future,
  • new concepts for dynamic architectures then and now,
  • greater understanding of sustainable materials as used in the past, and as usable in the future.

Events, activities and outcomes relating to the project.

  • April 2015 – ongoing: Modelling of new and existing radiocarbon dates to establish prehistoric roundhouse occupation sequences: NERRP and SESRC projects
  • June 2015 – ongoing: Landscape art and community project at Errol, Perthshire with The Red Field and Katleen Jamie: un-melting
  • 1 February 2016: Revealing Scotland’s most important buildings: 6,000 years of architecture, innovation and design: Year of Architecture in Scotland event with National Museums Scotland, the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, and STV, more under #IAD6000
  • February 2016 – ongoing: Sampling of early medieval turf house in Firdgum, Netherlands: with Daniël Postma of University of Groningen and Civiel en Infra Service Kwaliteitsdienst Netherlands
  • March 2016 Excavations at Old Kinord massive walled roundhouses: with Prof Richard Bradley and Associate Prof Amanda Clarke, both University of Reading
  • April 2016 Excavations at Inverewe prehistoric roundhouses: with Dr Daniel Rhodes, National Trust for Scotland
  • 10 January 2017 The dynamic document, 'Excavating Prehistoric Roundhouses: Guidance on good practice and effective outcome for future research'

Information about supporters, funders and collaborators of the project.

Funders:

  • The Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship ECF-2014-424
  • Aberdeenshire Council Regional Research Agenda
  • Scottish Borders Council Regional Research Agenda
  • Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
  • University of Edinburgh, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Challenge Investment Fun
  • University of Edinburgh, Moray Endowment Fund
  • University of Edinburgh Innovation Initiative Grant

Collaborators and support:

  • University of Bath
  • University of Groningen / Cultural Heritage Agency Netherlands
  • Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre
  • Glasgow School of Art Digital Design Studio
  • Simpson & Brown Architects
  • The National Trust for Scotland
  • National Museums Scotland
  • Earth Built UK and Ireland
  • The Red Field Community Interest Company
  • An Àirigh/The Shieling Project

This article was published on