Exhibition: Stories from the Soil,

How the ground holds history.

For thousands of years, people on the Black Isle have placed objects in the ground through burial, work, loss, concealment and everyday life. Some acts were deliberate, others accidental. All became part of the soil.

The ground does not simply preserve these traces. Metal corrodes, clay breaks, and objects move and fragment over time. When they are rediscovered, they return changed, carrying layered histories of making, use, repair, deposition and rediscovery.

‘Stories from the Soil’ explores how objects found around Rosemarkie and the wider Black Isle reveal these overlapping histories. The exhibition brings together archaeological finds ranging from Bronze Age cremation urns to early modern coins and jewellery.

Highlights include:
A repaired Bronze Age cremation urn that contained human remains and beads from a funerary burial.
The Munlochy silver coin hoard, a group of coins buried in the early 17th century.
A rare “elf-shot” charm, where a prehistoric flint arrowhead was later mounted in silver and worn as protection.

Contemporary Responses
Artists have also been invited to respond to the themes of ‘Stories from the Soil’. Their works can be seen in the exhibition, creating a dialogue between archaeological objects and contemporary artistic practice.