The Isle of May is a small island at the mouth of the Firth of Forth, with a 1000 year long history of ecclesiastical use. Excavations have revealed that the monastic settlement and burials on the island lasted from the 4th to 16th centuries. Important new research on the excavated human remains has now yielded fascinating insights into the lives and deaths of a few individuals during the early medieval period. This has emphasised the significance of the religious establishment here as a place of pilgrimage and healing, providing rare glimpses of severe medical conditions as suffered by these people.
Peter Yeoman has worked in Scottish archaeology for more than 40 years, directing major excavations at Edinburgh Castle and on the Isle of May, while also writing a number of books. Through the 1990's he was Council Archaeologist for Fife, before joining Historic Scotland. He now works freelance, pursuing his own research interests and leading archaeology tours at home and abroad.
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Photo by Sean D Langton
About the lecturer
Peter Yeoman has worked in Scottish archaeology for more than 40 years, directing major excavations at Edinburgh Castle and on the Isle of May, while also writing a number of books. Through the 1990's he was Council Archaeologist for Fife, before joining Historic Scotland. He now works freelance, pursuing his own research interests and leading archaeology tours at home and abroad.
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Lauriston Castle Lecture Series
Sick Picts from the May Island Monastery: Disease and Healthcare in Early Medieval Scotland.
