Dog walkers discovered 2,000-year-old beach footprints

Dog walkers at Lunan Bay in Angus discovered 2,000-year-old human and animal footprints exposed by winter storms, prompting a rapid archaeological response from the University of Aberdeen.

The prints, previously buried beneath sand dunes, were left by people as well as red and roe deer. Archaeologists worked in extreme winds to document the site using 3D models, physical casts, and drone photography before the storms destroyed it.

Radiocarbon dating confirmed the markings’ age. They were made in the Iron Age, on what was then a salt marsh.