Surprise finds at school site dig

A corn drying kiln was one of the most prominent discoveries

Several important finds have been made at an archaeological dig on the site of the proposed new school in Lockerbie.

It was decided to survey the area after information was received by the council suggesting it could be an area containing buried remains.

The dig unearthed a cremation urn from about 1900 BC and what is believed to be an early Bronze Age grave.

Remains of a 5,500-year-old timber building and an Anglian Hall from about 700 AD were also discovered.

"The excavations have already given a real insight into the several thousand years of human history in just one small area of the region," said council archaeologist Jane Brann.

"There is a real concentration of prehistoric archaeological sites known in the Lockerbie area showing it had much to offer our distant ancestors.

"The finding of an Anglian Hall is a real surprise.

"Now, off-site analysis will add the detail of everyday life to these findings and relate these features to the wider picture of Scottish archaeology."