The unexplored archaeological history of a remote island in Orkney
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ต.ค. 2024
- My parents have been farming sheep on a remote Scottish island for nearly 50 years. For half that time, they've had a flock of North Ronaldsays, or Rollies, an ancient breed of seaweed-eating sheep native to the Orkney Islands. I took a sabbatical from my job in 2023 as a TV news reporter to help for four months and decided to film a documentary series about their unique lifestyle while I was there. Now, in the second episode of the new series from 2024, join us as we explore some of the incredible archaeological history of the island. From Bronze Age burnt mounds to Iron Age settlements, Auskerry has been home to people for thousands of years at different times. I want to help preserve some of that history for generations to come by creating his record on film!
If you'd like to support the creation of future videos, please consider buying me a coffee www.buymeacoffee.com/hamishauskerry ❤
My parents’ website features all the products they make from our sheep, check it out here: www.isleofauskerry.com
Please subscribe for future episodes!
Watch next:
Meet my parents and see rare birds • Farming seaweed-eating...
Shearing our sheep • Shearing seaweed-eatin...
Cutting peat for fuel • Cutting peat for fuel ...
Making the products we sell from the wool • Making money from seaw...
Please subscribe for future episodes!
Shot on my Sony A7C (28mm, 35-70mm, 70-180mm lenses)
DJI Mini 4 Pro
INSTA 360 X3
Audio with DJI wireless lavs and Rode Videomic NTG
#farmingdocumentary #islandlife #remoteliving #orkney #offgrid #scotland #countrylifestyle #howpeoplelive #rurallife #islands #hardlife #primitivelife #farfromcivilization #traditionallife #everydaylife #countrylife #oldculture #dailylife #farfromanyroad #countrylife #vloglifealone #survivallife #alone #ruralfarm #nature #relaxing #lifeinnature #islanddocumentary #hardlife #hardwork #cabin #happylife #familywork #remotefamily #naturelife #offgridliving #wilderness #shepherd #shepherd'slife #travel #adventure #traditionallife #food #sustainability #agriculture #wildlife #slowlife
If you'd like to support the creation of future videos, please consider buying me a coffee www.buymeacoffee.com/hamishauskerry ❤ Thank you
Fabulous video as always Hamish - its great learning about History with people who are really appreciative of the experience isnt it... And one hot cousin you got there, woof woof, you ol' trickster you.....!!
😂😂 woof woof indeed. Cheers Jimbob
Utterly fascinating. Your mother is so intelligent and thoughtful. The drone gives a good outline to the settlement and I wondered if there is a burial site too.
Thank you!! Mum is amazing - I agree. It’s incredible her level of knowledge and understanding of all the different facets of the farm and island life. And her passion for it still burning to this day! There is a site here that we think could well be a burial site - but unless you dug it up you’d never know for sure. More detail in the next episode! Thanks for watching ☺️
Hi Hamish! Happy childhood memories of dancing to Elvis with your brothers over on Auskerry. I think the best compliment I’ve ever received in life was your dad telling your mum I was “a good dancer”. I’ve been sharing your videos with my mum when I visit her and she’s been enjoying them as much as me 😊
How wonderful. Your mum is so knowledgeable and it’s a very important thing you are doing documenting it all. Fascinating and amazing. Thanks for sharing
Ah thanks as always Jen! Mum is amazing and I’m so glad that I’ve managed to capture some of that in these films for posterity and for the record. Thanks for watching ☺️
Really enjoyed the episode, thank you Hamish. Any idea how did they heat up things, since there aren't many trees on those islands (assuming that the landscape was very similar in Bronze Age)?@hamishauskerry
@@bercdemir2285 Good Question! Will watch for someone to post the answer!
Hello! It’s a really good question and I’m not absolutely certain about the answer. However I’m pretty sure that tress would have covered the island at that point - and would have been cut down by the inhabitants and wouldn’t have grown back as the climate got more extreme. Hard to be sure about anything though! Thanks for watching
Im a second year Anthropology student Orkney is on my must go see list.
Yes you must! As you know there is SO MUCH here across Orkney. All the best with your studies!
I enjoyed that, very interesting. Thank you and your lovely Mum.
Thanks so much Julie - I’ll pass that on ❤️
Astounding your Mom knows so much about Auskerry history and its wonderful that you are preserving her knowledge. It will be exciting to have an archeologist exam the island. Looking forward to that video. Thank you for all your videos about the island and life there.
Currently an archaeology student in Orkney. Thank you so much for sharing this!
How cool! If I had a second life to do over again with the benefit of hindsight and a later start date, I might just be doing the same.
Those irises must be spectacular when they are in bloom!! It is very interesting that there had been previous archaeology done of the sites on the island. I'll have to look it up. And that's great that you had the Orkney county archaeologist out for a visit! I can't wait for that episode!
I enjoyed this video…fascinating.
Ah I’m so glad you have! Thanks for watching ☺️
Ask Time Team to come! It would be a very exciting show...
Thanks Hamish, I'll say it again your mum is amazing and I could listen to her all day. I was recently watching an older episode of Digging for Britain and they were in the Orkney islands, while watching I wondered about ancient history of Auskerry, then you post this. Saddened to hear your families time is coming to an end on the island but understand why. I look forward to the next video.
Fascinating tales, as ever. Not to take away from the amazing tales but the "Rory on Air" cap made me smile, the reason we stumbled upon your excellent channel.
Best wishes to your family, it was gut wrenching to hear your Dad was no longer on the island and what a horrible disease to rob somebody who could turn the debris from a salmon farm to such good use but we're so glad to hear he is safe and content.
Your mum is so knowledgeable. What an amazing life to have learned so much about the history, biodiversity, landscape of one, contained place. These films are very valuable.
Your mum is a living encyclopedia, it's amazing. Whether history, ecology or agriculture she's absolutely great. It's the best decision to preserve this. Best wishes for you all.
Loved to see some history of this beautiful island. Love your family and much love to your wonderful Dad. Thank you so much.
Hi Hamish, a wonderful way to archive the knowledge you're mother has amassed over her years on the island,as you said you're families time is coming to an end,we can only hope that whoever takes over the reigns that they treat it wi the love and respect as you're parents have over the years,cheers fae Pat
This was really good Hamish. Thinking about the ancients opens your perspective on the here and now. Thanks for this good work.
It is hard to imagine so many people once lived on this tiny island scratching out a living - looking forward to the county archaeologist next episode. I would also be curious about where the wool is exported to and how it is used.
Hello! Yes it’s so fascinating. It’s hard to imagine that they perhaps lived their entire lives on this island and maybe never left? Certainly didn’t go far anyway. I’m enjoying editing the next episode!
The wool is first shipped by fishing boat to Kirkwall (there’s a video in this series about that from last year and they’ll be more on that this summer). Then it’s transported to Bradford to be scoured, then it’s taken to be spun and balled and coned as spinning wool. Thanks for watching and your interest!
Great stuff ! Looking forward to seeing the next one!
All the best Jules 💕
Thanks so much Jules! ☺️
Your mom is such an interesting and informative person. Another great video!
She’s amazing isn’t she?? Woman of many talents! Thanks for watching ☺️
Hi Hamish, a very interesting insight into the history of the island, the knowledge of the island that you're mother has gained over the years is amazing, I'm glad that you are in the process of archiving it for future generations. As you said time is coming to an end for the family on the island, but I hope whoever takes over treats it with the same love and respect as you're parents have done over many years it certainly deserves it,cheers fae Pat
Thanks so much as always Pat! We hope to see a transfer of this place to a new couple to take it on and have their own wonderful chapter here. 😀
Your mother reminds me of mine - so intelligent and skilled in a large area of knowledge. Great seeing the drone views
This was awesome. I have been waiting for some archaeology content about Auskerry - there are so many ruins & sites visible on Google satellite - could be a lifetime's work exploring the millennia of human occupation.
Lovely , you make us all a part of your wonderful family. Thanks ever so much from old New Orleans 😎 !
This is fascinating stuff! Looking forward to the next installment. And that drone sure is making it easier to keep that record.
Thank you!! Yeah it certainly gives a different perspective for sure ☺️☺️
Hi. The drone shots from above show distinct lines. Fascinating
Yes they do and I’d love to know exactly why!
Fascinating video . Thank you
Such a wealth of information from your mom. Looking forward to the next episode.
I am fascinated by your videos-you are an artist, it is such a gift to the world as well as your descendants. I find the drone bits thrilling, and I hope you win some huge videography prize With monetary reward. Your family is wonderful-National Treasure, “People of Exceptional Goodness and Brilliance”. Thank you, Hamish for sharing this incredible beauty and yourselves,
Such a unique way of life. Thanks for sharing 🎉
Time to call Time Team!
😀
Another interesting video. Thank you.
Thanks as always Veronica! ☺️
Fascinating stuff Hamish, great that you are recording this history & have Mums knowledge as well, really enjoying your videos, cheers mate
It isa joy to watch your video. What happens next who knows You know how I feel, so I live in hope.
We all hope very much for a happy future for the island too - I really appreciate your support Colin ☺️
Ask the universities to visit and do some drone LIDAR of the Island
That’s a good idea!! Thanks for watching
the burnt mound puts me in mind of the fulacht fiadh we find here in west cork.
Would be interesting to see what Lydar would show.
Wouldn’t it?? Maybe one day! Thanks for watching
The drone shots are amazing to look at as a physical geographer 😊 At 7:50 there are parallel straight grooves in the terrain (to the lower right of the screen) that might be geological, but look mostly like human-made ditches to me. Any idea whether they are from the same age as the village?
Like your videos a lot.
Where is your dad? Is he ok?
Thank you so much ☺️
Sadly dad is no longer able to be on the island due to his health - but he is safe and content in Kirkwall, the town on the largest island in Orkney. Thanks for asking ❤️
About the nettles on the mound - nettles have traditionally been used for both food and fibre. They are twilled into a quite strong rope, and very useful for seafaring communities. They are also very nutritious and provide some herbal medicinal use as well. I feel confident they are survivors of human habitation.
That’s fascinating! Thanks so much for watching and your comment Wendy ☺️
Thank you Hamish❤have you ever thought to take a metal detector
On the island to find any relics?
You outdid yourself… I would never want to disturb because of the beauty but then again I’d like to dig lol I always wondered if you will ever pull up bones in your pete bog
Fantastic, the history is so rich. But I was wondering, how about the trees on the island? Have they been cut in the past or are there simply no trees in the area naturally?
Trees covered the Orkenys and Shetlands; human habitation started the decline in trees since they were useful for structures, boats and firewood with demand for pasture for intensive sheep farming being the end of trees and complete transformation of the islands to the grassy/rocky isles we see today.
Wow a bunch of rocks in a field....
😂 thanks for watching
You should invite Time Team over.
very interesting about island history off people who lived the many years go how ther lived
It’s mad to think about what their lives must have been like! They may never have left during a lifetime potentially. It’s really fascinating to imagine. Thanks as always Jason mate!
I wonder, how people from Bronze Era could reach that land so far away from the Continent?
So all that time past was the island covered with trees because I don’t see any now or was it the peat that heated the water many thanks Kev.
Hi Kev, thanks for this. I think the island was must have had some trees then yes. The peat was formed from tree growth etc but I’m not sure when they were all gone. They were probably all chopped down as humans started to develop more but dates wise I don’t know! I agree that they would have needed the wood to build the fires. Thanks for watching!
Tree pollen found in archaeological digs indicates the Orkneys and Shetlands were covered with trees. These islands today all represent extremely damaged ecosystems due to human activity and centuries of overgrazing by sheep. There are ongoing efforts to reintroduce native trees to the islands including cloning of the last living native hazel trees found on the Shetlands.
@@hamishauskerry Is it possible to re-forest the island?
@@johnmacneill8066 Certainly - there are already efforts to restore native forest habitats and preserve native tree species. Trees could be restored to Auskerry but care would need to be taken to make sure they were native and the seedlings would need to be protected from sheep grazing. Since this would reduce pastureland there would also need to be grants, compensation or incentives for anyone trying to make a living on the island, whether the current family or newcomers to the islands.
I much prefer your style of archeology, using your intelligence and imagination, rather than a pick and shovel. Well done.
You said "As your time on Auskerry comes to an end", as though your family intend to leave there, is the island for sale then?
Hello - we don’t have firm plans for anything yet but my mum is ready for a quieter life now, plus she wants to be with my dad a lot more in the town. We hope to hand the island/farm over to a couple to take it forward with enthusiasm and have their own chapter here. Know anyone who might be interested? 😊
@@hamishauskerry I think you might hear this a lot but I think I might be too old unfortunately, only 60 but already having my knees, ankles and hips replaced as I've worked them hard! But what you need I think is a couple in their late twenties or early thirties, best of luck with everything and I hope it all works out for your mum and dad, and the island
Thanks Nick! Yeah we hope we find a couple with that young energy and ideas that this place needs. You never know who may see the TH-cams! Take care
Need you worry about sea level rise, do you track it?
When you look at photos from Victorian times and compare same locations to now, there is no difference in sea levels despite the WEF misinformation/agenda.
Hello! Good question and yes we have to be mindful of it. Currently we haven’t noticed a general sea level rise - but then you probably wouldn’t by eye. What we do notice is that the more extreme weather we get means the beach is being eroded in front of the house. There is a LOT less shingle protecting the bedrock under the house than there was when mum and dad built it. So that’s why we’re building a gabion wall along the front - each year we add a couple more to the line. That’s essentially steel mesh structures filled carefully with beach stones - they break the big waves up when we have storms and hopefully stop the beach from wearing completely away. Thanks for asking!