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Just published: SAIR 101

12th December 2022 | Categories: Publications

The Society is pleased to announce the publication of a new Scottish Archaeological Internet Report, available now via the SAIR website.

SAIR 101: The New Street Gasworks, Caltongate: archaeological investigation of a major power production complex in the heart of Edinburgh and its significance in the industrial development of Britain

by Dawn McLaren, Mike Roy and Donald Wilson

with contributions from Dennis Gallagher, George R Haggarty, Andrew Morrison, Jackaline Robertson, Lynne Roy, Diana Sproat, Clare Thomas and Ian West

Click here to view the report: https://doi.org/10.9750/issn.2056-7421.2022.101

Summary: An extensive programme of archaeological fieldwork between August 2006 and May 2008 in the area of the former New Street Gasworks and New Street Bus Depot, Canongate, Edinburgh revealed remains of one of the earliest and most significant gasworks in Britain. As well as patches of medieval and post-medieval backland soils and post-medieval structures that pre-dated the establishment of the New Street works in the first quarter of the 19th century, substantial structural remains of the various phases of this industrial undertaking were recorded, along with a suite of associated artefacts.

These works have permitted the exploration of the industrial heritage of Edinburgh, as well as revealing important evidence of the medieval and post-medieval occupation of the Canongate. This is the first major excavation of an urban gasworks in Scotland and has enabled an examination of how these gasworks functioned and how they expanded with the introduction of more efficient systems and new technology.

The Society gratefully acknowledges funding from New Waverley Advisors Ltd towards the publication of this paper.

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An interactive map has recently been added to the SAIR hosting platform, so you can now search all issues of the journal by site locations across the country. Access the map and start browsing here.

This issue is also available in XML (eXtensible Markup Language) allowing for conversion between different presentations, such as a mobile-friendly webpage, braille, large print or synthetic speech. This format is more accessible for readers that use devices other than computers to read the journal and for those with print disabilities. It has been added to the SAIR platform as part of the Society’s commitment to the FAIR principles for scientific data management and stewardship (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reuse of digital assets).

If you would like to publish the results of your excavation through SAIR, please view our submission guidelines or contact the Managing Editor.

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