In this talk, Derek Hall and Catherine Smith explore Perth’s past through half a century of archaeological discovery. Drawing on excavations at sites including Meal Vennel (1983) and Perth High Street (1975-77 and 1992), they will piece together a vivid picture of everyday life in medieval Perth. They will also explore more recent work from Skinnergate Vennel, combining the archaeological evidence with documentary research to reveal stories of the people who once lived and worked along this historic street.

Speaker Biographies

Derek Hall is an archaeologist and ceramic specialist having studied at the Dorset Institute of Higher Education where he gained a Certificate in Practical Archaeology. He worked on archaeological sites throughout Scotland and England in the 1970s before coming to work in Perth in 1982. He has extensive research interests in Scottish Medieval Pottery, medieval hospitals, monastic granges and is currently an Honorary Fellow of the School of History at the University of St Andrews and Editor of the TAFAC journal.

Catherine Smith was part of Perth High Street Archaeological Excavation committee analysing Scottish animal bones and joined the Scottish Urban Archaeological Trust. She is currently working on projects for Alder Archaeology, involving research into domestic and farm animals in medieval Scotland. She is a member of Abertay Historical Society, dedicated to the study of local history in the Dundee, Perth and Fife areas.

Additional information:

Doors open at 6.45pm.

This event takes place in the main hall of Perth Museum so please note that speaker volume may vary at times. To ensure the best listening experience, ticket holders who may have difficulty hearing are encouraged to take seats in the first two rows.

For any questions around accessibility for this event, please get in touch with [email protected]