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Archaeologically monitored excavations in the Grassmarket, Edinburgh uncovered diverse remains dating from prehistory to the First World War. The stratigraphic sequence included pits created in the middle of the Bronze Age, Early Historic features and deposits, a series of medieval surfaces, a section of the Flodden Wall and post-medieval building foundations. The Early Historic features provide rare evidence for Edinburgh’s development prior to the 12th century and form the focus of this article.   Several features, created during the Anglian occupation of the Lothians, suggest the presence of a settlement between the late 6th and early 10th centuries AD, overlooked and possibly servicing a high status site on Castle Rock. The evidence is compared to archaeological results from other settlements formerly within the Anglian kingdom of Bernicia (Northumbria).   Deposits over a structure were radiocarbon dated to the 11th–12th century, when the region was under Scottish control. Associated environmental remains and leather offcuts indicated the holding, butchering and processing of livestock. This evidence pre-dates the documented use of the area as a medieval market and is interpreted as relating to a pre-burghal phase of use. The significance of the results in terms of our understanding of Edinburgh’s development, and to assessments of archaeological potential in Scottish medieval towns in general, is also discussed.

An excavation was undertaken in the north of Abbey Yards Field, adjacent to Coldingham Priory,the Scottish Borders. Three ditches crossed the area on the same alignment and one was wood-lined.Radiocarbon dating indicated that this boundary had been created in the 7th or early 8th century AD.Several patches of midden were preserved within adjacent hollows in the subsoil. Finds were scarcebut a similarly dated fragment of antler comb and an assemblage of pre-medieval animal bone were recovered from the fills and midden. Bede referred to an Urbs Coludi as the location of a monasteryand nunnery presided over by St Æbbe in the mid-7th century. The location of this foundation hasbeen identified as Kirk Hill, situated on the coast to the north of Coldingham. The evidence is reviewedand it is concluded that Coldingham is as likely a location for the ecclesiastical site, with Kirk Hilla contemporary secular fort. There may have been some form of continuing settlement at the site, assuggested by later medieval historians, before the founding of a new church by Edgar King of Scotsat the very end of the 11th century. By the middle of the 12th century this had developed into a priory dependent on Durham. The edge of the church graveyard was identified, with several industrialfeatures immediately outside. A second late medieval phase of cemetery was also excavated. It issuggested that the edge of the graveyard was an area used to bury marginalized members of society,with ill health and disability commonly evident among the skeletons. Animal bone associated withthe industrial features indicated that activities such as production of glue or tallow and tanning wereundertaken in the vicinity.

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Summary The Scottish Urban Archaeological Trust Ltd (SUAT) carried out excavations in advance of a possible infill development on a site located within the historic core of the village of Cumbernauld. Evidence of some 300–400 years of activity dating from the post-medieval period was uncovered with some residual finds from the medieval period. The excavations were jointly funded by the Cumbernauld Development Corporation and Historic Scotland.