Bannockburn – where the ‘blades and harness rang’

Uncovering conflict-related artefacts from Scotland’s iconic medieval battlefield

Abstract

This paper presents the results of one of the most extensive archaeological battlefield surveys ever undertaken in Scotland. The Bannockburn 700 project sought to find physical and artefactual evidence for the location of the Battle of Bannockburn fought on 23 and 24 June 1314. Among over 5,000 artefacts recovered and assessed, three can be attributed to the 14th century, and analysis reveals these to represent the clearest archaeological evidence found so far for the location of part of this iconic battle.