About us

North Berwick Law from White Castle, East Lothian

Dr Murray Cook: co-director

MA, MIFA, FSA Scot

Murray graduated from Edinburgh University Archaeology Department in 1995 and began working for AOC Archaeology in 1996 moving from contractor to commercial director by 2008.

In 2009 he joined Oxford Archaeology North as a post-excavation programme manager.

In 2011 he began work as Stirling Council’s archaeology officer, where he maintains the Sites and Monument Record, provides advice on planning matters and provides archaeological opportunities for local community training (read article) tourism and education.

During 15 years in professional archaeology Murray has excavated sites from the Mesolithic to the Edwardian period. This work included a series of excavations at Kintore, Aberdeenshire between 2000 and 2006 and uncovered a sequence running from the Neolithic to the Medieval including a Roman marching camp and produced the largest assemblage of Neolithic pottery to be recovered from that county.

However, after many years in commercial archaeology and encouraged by the Kintore excavations, Murray decided to pursue a research and training driven programme.  He launched a series of projects to utilise key-hole excavation to answer specific questions about the surrounding archaeology including:

• Kintore Landscape Project – Rituals, Roundhouses and Romans – Cook M and Dunbar L – Scottish Trust for Archaeological Research
• Hillforts of Strathdon and
• The Balbithan Prehistoric Landscape Project

Relevant publications

• Maiden Castle, Insch, Aberdeenshire: choice and architecture in Pictland, TAFAC 17 (pdf) – Maiden Castle in the news 2007 & 2008
• Hillforts of Strathdon 2004-2010 in ‘A LAD O’PAIRTS’ A Day Conference in Memory of Ian Shepherd (pdf)

Murray hopes to submit the results of these projects in support of a PHD from Edinburgh university.

David Connolly: co-director

MIFA, FSA Scot

1981-1990: Digger to draughtsman and surveyor across the UK, Europe and Middle East – periods ranged from Upper Palaeolithic to Second World War defences.

1991-2000: Director of Backtrack Archaeology, a survey and illustration company specialising in landscape and building survey and analysis. Sites ranged from Wallington designed landscape to castle and house surveys such as Stirling Castle and Edinburgh Castle. Pioneer in new techniques such as remote excavation (Dounreay Castle) and 3D photo modelling of structures and landscapes.

2000-2002: Project manager for Addyman Associates – specialists in designed landscapes and building analysis. Sites included Queensberry House (part of the present Scottish Parliament), National Trust for Scotland properties and the Cowgate fire site in Edinburgh, where revolutionary techniques recorded the entire city block as a 3D model for later  study. (selection of reports available here).

1999 until present: Director of  BAJR website (British Archaeological Jobs and Resources) – providing employment advertising, information and guides for over 10 years to the UK archaeological community.

2003-2008: Development Control Archaeologist for Midlothian – providing archaeological advice for the Council, preparing consultation reports and working with forestry requests.

2008 until present: Director of Connolly Heritage Consultancy – 2011 projects include: British fortified residence, Castlefield Camp hillfort, Temple House, Sheriffside banked enclosure, Amisfield walled garden, Newhailes cascade, Templar Lodge hotel, Gullane, George hotel, Haddington

Example projects abroad:

• IT support, surveyor and illustrator Jarash Hinterland Survey (2006 & 2008) – Jordan
• Tramuntana survey project – Croatia (2007-2009) – Project director
• Surveyor and illustrator Towers of Ras al Khaimah (1995) – UAE – Kennet, D. (illustrations by D. Connolly) 1995. The Towers of Ras al-Khaimah. BAR International Series 601.
• Ancient Merv Project (1995, 1996) – Turkmenistan – field archaeologist and illustrator
• Qermez Dere, Tell Afar – Iraq (1991) – trench supervisor
• Tille Huyuk, Turkey (1988 & 1989) – draughtsman and field archaeologist
• Julfar, Ras al Khaimah, UAE (1990, 1991 & 1992) – co-field director, illustrator and draughtsman

Example projects UK:

• Bothwell Castle – 2013 – site director
• Stirling Castle – (various projects from1992-1998) – field archaeologist, draughtsman and illustrator
• Snettisham Iron-age ritual site – (1992) – field archaeologist and draughtsman
• Dundrennan Abbey – (1991-1996) – Draughtsman surveyor and illustrator
• Various projects as archaeological consultant to The National Trust for Scotland
• Melrose Abbey search for the heart of Robert the Bruce – 1996 – (IT, draughtsman and illustrator)