ARCHAEOLOGISTS digging near one of Scotland’s oldest castles have been left scratching their heads after uncovering a belt buckle belonging to a foreign soldier from the First World War.
Experts uncovered it while excavating on a footpath known as the Back Walk near Stirling Castle, which dates from the 18th century.
It was later revealed to be of a type issued to rank and file soldiers who served in the Austrian Army, but mystery surrounds how it came to be found there.
It is thought that the buckle, which depicts the double-headed imperial eagle and the Austrian coat of arms, may have been brought back by a Scottish soldier as a trophy, or belonged to a prisoner of war.
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Soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the trenches
Stirling Castle was an important working barracks at the time with a military prison attached, while the town’s jail was also used by the military.
Bob Will, Senior Project Manager with Guard Archaeology, said: “The military buckle is from the Austrian army and has the double headed imperial eagle and the Austrian coat of arms and is one that was standard issue during WWI.
“Unfortunately the buckle was a stray find so we don’t know how it got to the Back Walk whether it was lost or thrown out.
“As this year commemorates the centenary of the end of WWI, the buckle reminds us that the war had far reaching affects throughout the country.”
The Empire of Austria- Hungary was an ally of Germany during the war.
However, its armies generally fought on the Eastern front against Russia, in the Balkans, and also against Italy. The Empire collapsed at the end of the war following its defeat.
The dig in Stirling also uncovered a number of other artefacts, including a collection of clay tobacco pipes dating from the 1750s to the 1800s, a small knife and a lead musket ball.
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A separate excavation of a dumping site - referred to as a midden - nearer to the castle uncovered pottery and stoneware dating back to the medieval period.
The dig on the Back Walk took place while repairs were being made, and was led by Dr Murray Cook, the Stirling Council Archaeologist
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