- Archaeological News
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Image Credit: University of Aberdeen
Storms Expose and Erase 2000 Year Old Footprints on Scottish Coast
Powerful winter storms along Scotland’s eastern coast briefly revealed a rare archaeological site at Lunan Bay in Angus: a series of human and animal footprints dating to about 2,000 years ago.
Shifting sands uncovered a clay surface bearing the impressions, which were first noticed by local walkers. Specialists quickly examined the area and recorded the markings before the sea reclaimed them. Within just 48 hours of detailed documentation, the site was completely destroyed by tides and wind-blown sand.
The preserved tracks included barefoot human prints along with those of red deer and other animals. Radiocarbon dating of plant remains beneath the footprint layer confirmed a late Iron Age date, around the period of the Roman presence in Britain.
Researchers believe the coastline looked very different at the time. Instead of a sandy beach, the area was a muddy estuary where people may have hunted deer or gathered coastal plants. The discovery therefore provides direct evidence of daily activity in a prehistoric landscape that has since disappeared.
Using casts, photography, drone imaging, and 3D modelling, the team created a permanent record of the fragile traces before their loss. Footprint sites of this type are extremely rare in the United Kingdom and had not previously been documented in Scotland.
The find highlights both the archaeological potential and vulnerability of coastal environments, where erosion can reveal—and rapidly destroy—evidence of past human activity.
Published on: 19-02-2026
Edited by: Abdulmnam Samakie
Source: University of Aberdeen