EDINBURGH residents have been invited to discover the history of the capital city’s Muirhouse house and Mains farm this weekend.
The City of Edinburgh Council is asking residents to step back in time and explore an excavation site with guided tours led by archaeologists at an open day on Saturday, March 23 (tomorrow).
The excavation, which is being undertaken by AOC Archaeology, is being carried out ahead of the council’s redevelopment of the former Silverlea Care Home site into much-needed new homes.
The site will include 142 high-quality sustainable homes, including wheelchair-accessible ground-floor dwellings in a mix of social rent (91) and mid-market rent (51) each benefitting from coastal views and access to parkland.
The redevelopment forms part of the £1.3 billion wider Granton Waterfront regeneration, which is delivering thousands of new homes along with commercial and cultural space, a primary school, a health centre, and a major new coastal park.
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Discoveries at the site include the remains of the 18th-19th century Murieston Mains farm and evidence for the estate surrounding the former 16th-century house.
This includes a culvert/flue that may have been used for heating the walled garden. Midden deposits from the 19th and 20th centuries, including bone, pottery, and milk bottles, have also been found which provides insight into the daily life of the estate.
It follows the discovery of a fossil plant remains, uncovered in a reused sandstone block possibly quarried in Craigleith, believed to be more than 300 million years old.
The fossil contains fragments of giant club moss and horsetail, which grew in tropical swamps during the Carboniferous period.
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Council leader Cammy Day said: “It is fantastic to see work continuing at pace at our £1.3bn Granton Waterfront site, the largest sustainable regeneration project of its kind in Scotland.
“Archaeology projects, like the site at Edinburgh’s Muirhouse house and Mains farm, help us to get a glimpse of the area’s past.”
“Our city has a rich heritage, but these discoveries continue to expose new aspects of its fascinating, varied history.
“The open day on Saturday is a chance for anyone with an interest to come and have a look at the historical work taking place, and to learn from the expertise of our brilliant archaeologists.”
Members of the public are welcome to visit the site at 14 Muirhouse Parkway, Edinburgh, between 10am-3pm tomorrow, to view the artefacts on display, with archaeologists on hand to talk about their discoveries.
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