Footprints dating from the height of the Roman Empire have been discovered by dog walkers on a beach.
Shifting sands caused by recent storms temporarily revealed 2,000-year-old human and animal imprints.
The discovery was made by Ivor Campbell and Jenny Snedden.
The pair were walking Ziggy and Juno when Ivor spotted the markings in a fresh layer of clay.
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A shift in the sand at Lunan Bay, Angus, had been caused by recent storm damage.
He immediately called council archaeologist Bruce Mann who rushed in experts from the University of Aberdeen.
A team of archaeologists led by Professor Kate Britton dashed to the scene picking up essential supplies of Plaster of Paris from a craft store en route.
The team, including PhD students, worked in wind speeds of over 55mph while being battered by sand to preserve evidence of the footprints.
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Similar markings have been identified in a small numbers of other UK sites including the Severn Estuary, Formby in Merseyside and Happisburgh in Norfolk.
This was the first record of one in Scotland, as reported by What’s The Jam.
Professor Britton said: “We knew we were dealing with a really rare site and that this discovery offered a unique snapshot in time but it was also clear that the sea would soon take back what had so recently been revealed.
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“We had to work fast in the worst conditions I’ve ever encountered for archaeological fieldwork.
“The sea was coming in fast, with every high tide ripping away parts of the site, while wind-blown sand was simultaneously damaging it.
“We were effectively being sand-blasted and the site was too, all while we were trying to delicately clean, study and document it, so it became a race against the elements.
“And, within 48 hours the entire site was destroyed.”
The small team of archaeologists were able to record and map the site, and capture 3D models and physical casts of the prints.
Back in the laboratory, they selected preserved plant remains found in deposits just below the footprints for radiocarbon dating, which confirmed the markings were made around 2,000 years ago.
Ongoing analysis of the footprints has identified red deer, roe deer and other animals, as well as humans who would have walked barefoot on the now semi-fossilised clays.
Professor Gordon Noble added: “This is a real tangible link to the region’s past.
“The late Iron Age dates are in keeping with what we know about the rich archaeology of nearby Lunan Valley.
“It’s very exciting to think these prints were made by people around the time of the Roman invasions of Scotland and in the centuries leading up to the emergence of the Picts.”
Archaeologists said the unique find offered a window into human activity along the coastline and the changing nature of the landscape.
Dr William Mills said: “It is incredibly rare to see such a delicate record saved, taking only minutes to create and hours to be destroyed, a snapshot of what people were doing thousands of years ago.
“The site also tells us how this now sandy beach was once a muddy estuary and that humans were using this environment, perhaps for hunting deer or to collect wild plant foods such as samphire.
“While this site was very short lived, it demonstrates the potential for similar finds – any of the clays of the wider Montrose basin area could preserve more of this important archaeological information.”
Dr Elinor Graham added: “The logistics of recording this exceptionally fragile site were very challenging but in small windows of calmer conditions, we took the opportunity to fly the drone and capture the site from the air.
“The photos let us map the footprints in 3D with millimetre accuracy as a permanent record, even though the site has now been lost.
“With sea levels rising and coastal erosion accelerating around Scotland it’s more important than ever that local community members keep an eye on their local coasts and report potential new discoveries.”
Bruce Mann, regional archaeologist serving Aberdeenshire, Angus, Moray and Aberdeen City Councils, praised the quick thinking of Ivor and Jenny in enabling analysis of the site to take place.
He said: “As soon as I saw the first photograph I realised I was looking at something very special.
“It was a powerful reminder that some of the most important discoveries start with someone noticing something and choosing to report it.
“What came next was a race against time, and I cannot thank the University of Aberdeen team enough for responding to my call for help.
“Standing there, watching the site being destroyed as the waves crashed over it, was heartbreaking in some ways, but at least we got the chance to record most of it.
“There is nothing left now, the storms having both revealed and then destroyed the site in just over a week.”
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