HAAFA – the Historic Assynt Archaeological Finds Archive – is our project to record, research and interpret this collection properly for the first time.

Each object is being:

• given a permanent HAAFA reference number;
• photographed to a consistent standard;
• measured and described;
• assessed for material, date and function;
• compared with published archaeological examples;
• recorded with its original labels and collection history;
• and, where possible, linked back to the place or circumstances in which it was found.

Importantly, we are also recording uncertainty. Where an identification or provenance cannot be confirmed, the catalogue will say so rather than presenting assumptions as fact.

Although the collection is housed in the Historic Assynt archive at the Old Kirk, Inchnadamph, it does not appear to come from a single excavation or site.

Existing labels suggest material may have originated from places including:

• Ardvreck Castle;
• the Loch Assynt area;
• Inchnadamph and the Old Kirk;
• local iron-working sites;
• and other locations whose provenance has yet to be reconstructed.

Part of the HAAFA project is therefore archaeological detective work: bringing together surviving labels, photographs, reports, memories and published parallels to recover as much information as possible.

Individually, many of the finds are small. Together, however, they have the potential to reveal much more about life in Assynt.

The collection already includes material relating to:

As research progresses, individual objects will be published as short HAAFA Finds posts.

Each post will explore what we know about the object, how it has been identified, what remains uncertain and why it matters to the wider story of Assynt.

Some of the most valuable information may still exist within the community.

You may recognise an object, remember where something was found, know who donated part of the collection, or have photographs or paperwork relating to earlier Historic Assynt activity.

If something on these pages prompts a memory, we would love to hear from you.

HAAFA is also helping Historic Assynt develop a consistent collections-management system for the future.

The project includes:

• a digital collections register;
• standardised photography and recording;
• preservation of original labels and documentation;
• research links to national archaeological collections;
• storage-location recording;
• and the ability to connect artefacts with photographs, maps, archive documents, sites and future research.

This means that information gathered now can continue to be used by volunteers, researchers and future generations.

HAAFA is deliberately a work in progress.

As individual objects are researched, new information will be added and earlier interpretations may be refined. Rather than hiding that process, we want the website to show how archaeological knowledge develops.

Over time, this page will become a growing digital display of Assynt’s small finds – each object adding another piece to the story of the landscape and the people who lived within it.

If this is something you’d be interested in getting involved with, please contact us.