19 Mar 2026
Sometimes, the history of our sport is hiding right in our own back gardens.
A couple of years ago, East Kilbride Archery Club was going through a standard club shirt redesign. The design company we were working with liked to look for unique, local historical facts to incorporate into their artwork. They stumbled upon a brilliant local story: in 1970, two boys in East Kilbride unearthed a prehistoric flint arrowhead while digging in a garden.
The designers asked if we wanted to include a nod to this in the shirts. We thought it was a great idea, but when we looked closer at the historical record, our jaws dropped. We recognized the name of one of the boys who made the discovery. Amazingly, it was Allan Forrest, who had recently joined our very own archery club just after the COVID pandemic.
After its discovery in 1970, the arrowhead had been donated to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow, where it was displayed for a few years before being carefully moved into the archives.
The Mission for a New Trophy
Fast forward to last year. EKAC has a great indoor competition, but we were looking for ways to encourage more members to shoot outdoors. Allan had the brilliant idea of trying to get a replica of his 1970 discovery to use as the centerpiece for a brand-new outdoor club trophy.
Unfortunately, after reaching out to Glasgow Life Museums, they weren’t able to provide a 3D replica. Not wanting to let the idea go, committee member James Ross suggested reaching out to the academic community. James’s research led him to Dr. Kenny Brophy of Glasgow University’s Archaeology Department (well-known on social media and his blog as the "Urban Prehistorian," exploring the interaction between ancient history and modern urban settings).
Dr. Brophy jumped at the chance to help bridge the gap between prehistory and a modern archery club. After a few months of organizing, a date was set: March 16th at Kelvin Hall.
Reuniting with History
The scanning day at Kelvin Hall was a deeply special moment. For the first time in over 50 years, Allan was able to see and hold the arrowhead he found as a boy. He described the moment as completely surreal. Allan even brought along his personal archive of the discovery, including the original 1970 newspaper clippings, photographs, and a letter from the Lord Provost of East Kilbride, which Dr. Brophy and his team were thrilled to read through.
Ancient Archery Meets Modern Tech
To create the digital replica, Dr. Brophy brought in Rob, a final-year undergraduate with extensive experience in photogrammetry. For those unfamiliar, photogrammetry is a process where hundreds of high-resolution photographs are taken of an object from every conceivable angle. Specialized software then stitches these images together to create an incredibly precise, millimeter-perfect 3D digital model.
While the scanning took place, the group got to discuss the evolution of archery. There is a common modern misconception that ancient arrows were simple, throwaway items. Looking closely at the 2500+ year-old flint, it was obvious that these were precisely crafted, highly valued tools.
The arrowhead itself holds a mystery: one of its barbs is broken. Was it broken during the intense process of flint knapping? Did it snap upon impact during a hunt millennia ago? Or was it damaged over the 2500 years it spent buried in the East Kilbride soil?
The digital data Rob is capturing might actually hold the answers. Through micro-wear analysis of the 3D scan, archaeologists can look for microscopic signs of use. In fact, a Neolithic expert has already expressed interest in looking at the data once it's processed!
The Forrest Thomas Heritage Trophy
Once Rob completes his dissertation this month, the university will send EKAC the final 3D file. The club will then use modern 3D printing and resin casting to create a stunning, glass-clear heritage trophy featuring the suspended replica arrowhead, flanked by oak and mounted on a reclaimed whisky barrel stave.
Fittingly named The Forrest Thomas Heritage Trophy (honouring Allan and his friend Richard who sadly passed away several years ago), it will serve as the top prize for our new inclusive, club-wide outdoor competition. It stands as a fantastic reminder that the archers of East Kilbride are continuing a tradition that has been happening on that very soil for over two millennia.