December 2006July 2007August 2007September 2007January 2008February 2008March 2008April 2008May 2008June 2008July 2008August 2008September 2008October 2008November 2008December 2008January 2009February 2009March 2009April 2009May 2009June 2009July 2009August 2009September 2009October 2009November 2009December 2009January 2010February 2010March 2010April 2010May 2010June 2010August 2010September 2010October 2010November 2010December 2010January 2011February 2011March 2011April 2011May 2011July 2011September 2011October 2011November 2011December 2011July 2012August 2012December 2012January 2013February 2013March 2013April 2013May 2013June 2013July 2013August 2013September 2013October 2013November 2013December 2013January 2014February 2014March 2014April 2014May 2014June 2014July 2014August 2014September 2014October 2014November 2014December 2014January 2015February 2015March 2015April 2015May 2015June 2015July 2015August 2015September 2015October 2015November 2015December 2015January 2016February 2016March 2016April 2016May 2016June 2016August 2016September 2016October 2016November 2016December 2016January 2017February 2017March 2017April 2017May 2017July 2017September 2017October 2017December 2017February 2018March 2018April 2018May 2018June 2018July 2018August 2018September 2018October 2018November 2018December 2018January 2019February 2019April 2019May 2019September 2019October 2019November 2019December 2019January 2020February 2020March 2020April 2020August 2020October 2020January 2024
Welcome to
History Buff, a blog for history lovers everywhere! History Buff brings
news stories about archaeology from around the world together on one site.
From finds in ancient Egypt to new discoveries in anthropology, History
Buff wants to know.
RSS: BLOG FEED
Subscribe to
Posts [Atom]
Logo designed by Shaun Venish
Blog designed by Mia Pearlman Design
Pictish stone found by gravedigger most significant in decade – expert
by Heather Baillache
A PICTISH stone found in Cunningsburgh has been described as the most important archaeological discovery in Shetland for 10 years.
It was found in Mail cemetery by gravedigger Malcolm Smith, his second such find in 16 years.
The Pictish stone found at Cunningsburgh.
The sculptured stone is inscribed with mysterious symbols and dates back to the dark ages.
It is the ninth stone of its kind to be discovered in the same area in the last 130 years.
Its significance has been highlighted by Dr Ian Tait, collections curator at the Shetland Museum and Archives.
“It is extremely exciting because it is a single find which was not associated with an archaeological dig. It was just found by a man in the course of his work.
“It had probably not see the light of day for a couple of centuries, but we suspect it dates back to around 700AD.”
The graveyard has been a centre for religious belief for 2,000 years, and may have been a centre of cultural or political power during Pictish times.
This is shown by the four stones which have been found there bearing the ancient alphabet known as ogham, and the amazing stone found in 1992 – the well known Mail Stone – depicting a mystery figure in dog-head mask.
In the Middle Ages the site was a burial ground, and three parts of gravestones have been found with inscriptions in Norse runes.
The meaning of the old Pictish stones would probably have been unknown by then, but the latest stone, or at least part of it, was still above ground in 1769, when somebody scratched that date on the stone.
Dr Tait said it was an extremely rare find.
Read the rest here.
