Archaeological iSpy - test your sleuthing skills this winter

The Christmas Holidays are fast approaching, so we have created a great activity for you to undertake during your time off – Archaeological iSpy.

I spy with my little eye…! Archaeology is all about observation and discovering interesting things from the past – on all sorts of different scales. A tiny prehistoric worked flint is archaeology, but so is a huge industrial building. Archaeological iSpy challenges you to get out and about and spot archaeology! Download the pack where you’ll find example photographs of objects, sites, buildings, modes of transport and people. The photos and descriptions provide clues to help you discover archaeology wherever you live. You may have to visit museums to spot some of the things! For every item that you tick off, you’ll collect points – the easiest items to spot get fewer points, and the more difficult get you more points.

When you’ve collected at least 600 points, email yac@yac-uk.org and tell us what you spotted, and where. We’ll then email you a brilliant personalised YAC iSpy Champion certificate that you can print out at home! If you can, do send us photos of yourself at or with some of your ‘spotted’ items – we’d love to celebrate some YAC iSpy Champions on our YAC website and social media.

Tristan, from Ayrshire YAC, recently completed the challenge and received the first of the new iSpy certificates. He said ‘He loved walking about trying to find the stuff with his Mum and brother. His favourite find was a gravestone he found behind Kilwinning Abbey that showed the burial place of a plague victim’

He also sent us some advice ‘When looking for gravestones, look for the faded and broken ones because they’re probably older’

Good luck and have fun!!!!