Roman-era footprints recorded on a Scottish beach before the tide erased them

Archaeologists documented 2,000-year-old human and animal footprints exposed at Lunan Bay, Scotland, then the imprints were lost to the tide within days.

Archaeologists worked quickly to record a set of footprints exposed on a Scottish beach before the tides erased them. A local couple walking their dogs found the impressions in a fresh layer of clay after an intense storm at Lunan Bay. The marks included barefoot human prints and tracks from deer. A layer of charred plant material beneath the prints was carbon-dated to about 2,000 years ago, placing the site in the late Iron Age. Key details: - The prints were discovered at Lunan Bay in eastern Scotland by Ivor Campbell and Jenny Snedden while walking their dogs after a storm. - Aberdeenshire council archaeologist Bruce Mann alerted a team from the University of Aberdeen, including archaeologist Kate Britton, who led the recording work. - Recorded impressions included barefoot human footprints and prints from red deer and roe deer. - Charred plant remains under the prints were carbon-dated to roughly 2,000 years ago, consistent with the late Iron Age. - The team used drones, cameras, 3D modelling, and plaster moulds while working in winds up to 55 mph; they excavated for two days and the prints were gone when they returned a week later. Summary: The site indicates that the area now forming a sandy beach was once a muddy estuary used by people and animals about 2,000 years ago. Archaeologists made detailed digital and physical records before natural erosion removed the impressions. Undetermined at this time.