Medieval History
An ancient stone thought to have been used for Christian prayers or curses has been uncovered on a Scottish island. A farm manager chanced upon Scotland's first known example of a bullaun stone on the Isle of Canna, in the Inner Hebrides.
Dating from around 800AD, the stones are associated with early Christian crosses like the one on Canna, and there are several well-known examples in Ireland. The stone is approximately 25cm in diameter, engraved with an early Christian cross and fits exactly into a worn hole in a large rectangular stone at base of the Canna cross.
National Trust for Scotland head of archaeology Derek Alexander said: "This is an amazing find. Bullaun stones tend to be found close to early Christian crosses in Ireland, but this is the first find in Scotland."
He added: "Canna has a long and fascinating history, and this find just tells us even more about the treasure trove that we have in the Trust's care. However, it is also a hugely important find for Scotland, adding more to our knowledge of this distant period in our nation's past. It will be interesting to see if more bullaun stones emerge around Scotland."
Click here to read this article from the UK Press Association
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Medieval History
Medieval 'cursing stone' discovered on Scottish island
Dating from around 800AD, the stones are associated with early Christian crosses like the one on Canna, and there are several well-known examples in Ireland. The stone is approximately 25cm in diameter, engraved with an early Christian cross and fits exactly into a worn hole in a large rectangular stone at base of the Canna cross.
National Trust for Scotland head of archaeology Derek Alexander said: "This is an amazing find. Bullaun stones tend to be found close to early Christian crosses in Ireland, but this is the first find in Scotland."
He added: "Canna has a long and fascinating history, and this find just tells us even more about the treasure trove that we have in the Trust's care. However, it is also a hugely important find for Scotland, adding more to our knowledge of this distant period in our nation's past. It will be interesting to see if more bullaun stones emerge around Scotland."
Click here to read this article from the UK Press Association
- New Book Examines Vikings In The Outer Hebrides
A new book on the island of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides has revealed some interesting about the Viking presence in Scotland. From Machair to Mountains shows how experts uncovered a series of virtual ?time capsules? on South Uist in the form of ancient...
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The Scottish government has released the latest annual Treasure Trove report, which reveals several dozen new finds from the medieval period. The report, which covers the period 1 April 2010 ? 31 March 2011, details some of the exciting new archaeological...
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A team of researchers, funded by Historic Scotland, have discovered evidence of a much larger pottery industry in Scotland in the early 12th century than was previously documented. By applying new identification methods to determine the origin of Scottish...
- Medieval Shipyard Discovered On Skye
Evidence of a medieval shipyard has been discovered on the Isle of Skye, which lies in the Inner Hebrides islands of Scotland. Archaeologists have discovered a man made stone quay at Loch na h-Àirde inn the southwest portion of the island, which would...
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