Introducing the NE Scotland Regional Research Framework
The Scottish Archaeological Research Framework (ScARF) provides a national overview highlighting our current knowledge of what happened in the past, what gaps we have in that knowledge, and what research needs to be done.
To support the national framework a local one has been created, the NE Scotland Regional Research Framework. It covers the period 40,000 BC - 1100 AD and is designed to link into ScARF, while developing in more detail our understanding of the historic environment here in the NE. It enables anyone wishing to contribute to the research to plan their work, ensure that their work is relevant, and that it is effective in developing our understanding of the past.
The Framework for the North-east of Scotland includes the geographic areas as defined by Moray, Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen City and Angus Local Authority boundaries. These areas largely coincide with natural features such as rivers, glens and mountains that make the Framework boundary relevant to any period’s activities. Details of how the framework has been put together can be found in the NE Scotland Archaeological Research Framework Introduction (PDF 244KB).
The framework uses the following table in order to establish manageable divisions of time for analysis:
| Era | Timeframe | Transition Period |
| Lower Upper Palaeolithic | 40,000BC – 8000BC | Not Applicable |
| Mesolithic | 8000BC – 4000BC | Transition Period 1 |
| Early Neolithic | 4000BC – 3300BC | Transition Period 1 |
| Late Neolithic | 3300BC – 2500BC | Transition Period 2 |
| Chalcolithic | 2500BC – 2200BC | Transition Period 2 |
| Early Bronze Age | 2200BC – 1800BC | Transition Period 2 |
| Middle Bronze Age | 1800BC – 1300BC | Not Applicable |
| Late Bronze Age | 1300BC – 800BC | Transition Period 3 |
| Earlier Iron Age | 800BC – 400BC | Transition Period 3 |
| Later Iron Age | 400BC – 1AD | Not Applicable |
| Roman Iron Age | 1AD – 250AD | Not Applicable |
| Late Roman Iron Age | 250AD – 400AD | Transition Period 4 |
| Early Medieval | 400AD – 900AD | Transition Period 4 |
| Late Early Medieval | 900AD – 1100AD | Not Applicable |