Dr Fraser Hunter from the National Museum detailed the excavations at Birnie near Elgin. These followed the discovery of several Roman coins by metal detectorist. A fieldwalking survey revealed that the site had been occupied as far back as Neolithic times and human presence extended to the Middle Ages. The initial excavations revealed a number of Iron Age huts on the site.
However, once the excavations were started in the vacinity of the coin finds an important discovery was made. A hoard of some 300 coins spanning the reigns of Nero to Septimius Severus was found.
Another coin hoard was found intact last year but it has not been processed by the Museum so Dr Hunter was unable to reveal what it contained. He believed that the hoards may have been buried as an offering to the Celtic gods as they would be of limited use in the Bernie area apart from buying occasional goods off Roman traders. Dr Hunter's lectures was well received and members are looking forward to hearing about what the new hoard contains.