Stunning archaelogical finds unearthed on A75 Dunragit bypass

As the finishing touches to the £17 million Dunragit bypass near Stranraer are put in place, Transport Minister Keith Brown is to unveil today the most remarkable treasure trove of ancient artefacts ever unearthed in the south west of Scotland.

Finds during planning and construction of the road include:

• The earliest known Mesolithic dwellings in south west Scotland (7000BC), with a number of hearths indicating repeat visits to what was likely a seasonal hunting camp.

• Over 13,500 Mesolithic flints

• An early Neolithic settlement (4500-2500BC)

• A Bronze Age cemetery complex (2500BC-1800BC), including Bronze Age ring ditches associated with a number of cremation burials.

• Several Early Bronze Age stone lined cist burials with grave goods including ceramic food vessels, a flint knife, and two rare jet bead necklaces

• Bronze Age cremation urns and pottery sherds

• Six Iron Age (800BC-500AD) roundhouses, and Iron Age pottery

Some of the finds to be unveiled in Edinburgh today include:

• One of two rare jet bead necklaces, the first ever uncovered in the region, dating to around 2000BC (both are considered complete).

• 3 Vessels (a cremation urn, a beaker and a food vessel)

• An Iron Age brooch (a dolphin style fibula)

• Flint arrow heads, a ceremonial flint dagger blade, a serrated scraper (for removing hide) and flint blade (for cutting)

• A stone adze (for cultivation), stone hammers and a stone gaming piece

A selection of images and plans showing where the discoveries were made will also be on show.