AS spring uncurls and the weather improves, everyone is invited to go for a woodland wander and take a step back in time.
New booklets, Into the Wildwoods and Into the Rainforest, have been produced by Forestry and Land Scotland, explaining all about ancient woodlands.
They are both free and a great accompaniment for a forest visit, offering a ‘guided tour’ of the past and the importance of spring to the Mesolithic wild harvesters living in forests over 6000 years ago.
The characters and their activities help readers gain a deeper insight into spring in the ancient wildwoods.
Archaeologist Matt Ritchie said: “The people who lived in the forests in Mesolithic times welcomed spring but for very different reasons.
“Not only was surviving a winter something to be celebrated but the arrival of spring would bring with it hope and optimism. People would start to gather a wide range of food, resources and materials, and could travel further afield to connect with other communities .
“It would feel like a time of plenty after a long winter.”
And he explained that the Mesolithic peoples of 6000 years ago were at home in their environment, hunting, fishing and gathering enough to survive and to prosper yet leaving very little evidence – just archaeological traces of campsites, hearths and middens – of their ever having been there.
Matt added: “It can be difficult to connect with these people and communities from so long ago, even although the natural environment in which they lived can be found all around us today. By imagining individual characters we can help tell the real story and reconnect with the lives of our ancestors.”
