Two New Pictish Symbol Stones from by J. N. Graham Ritchie

fragmenA Pictisa f o t h symbol ston discoveres e wa Sande th Evief n sdo o , Orkneyr M y b , . WilsoL . J Octoben ni r 1967fragmene Th . t (PI. f RousalOao s )i y flagstone, measuring 0-28m by 0-23 m and 0-09 m in thickness, and on one side bears pecked decoration comprising part of a mirror symbol. Almost the complete mirror handle survives; it is key-hole shaped with a slight expansio key-holee base th f th e o t whic ny a b , handle hth e has been attache platee th o d,t only abou quartera t whicf o h remains. A second stone with Pictish symbols was brought to the writer's attention by Mrs H. Walker, assistant custodian of the Ministry of Public Building and Works' museum at the of Gurness, Orkney. The stone (fig. 1) was found during the excavation of the Broch in 1935, but the nature of the ornament does not seem to have been noted hitherto. The three symbols, incised o nbloca k measurin thickness0-2n d i g rectangula0-1o y an 0-29m b tw 9m 7 m e ar , r figured san motie th f know 'circulae th s na r disrectangld can e with square indentation' angulae Th . r motifs, which flank the more recognisable symbol, are a rectangle within a rectangle, and a rectangle witsmalo htw l rectangles abuttin shortes git r sides. Ther alsincisee o ear o tw d lines, whicy hma be part of an incomplete motif. The stone was found on top of a wall at the eastmost break in the rampart, overlooking the inner ditch, the wall being a partition between two cubicles. The stone is thus associated, albeit loosely, with the second period of occupation of the site. This is poorly dated, but its stratigraphical position, between the building of the broch itself (period 1) and the ninth-century Viking building broce soute th th f hho o s t (perio quits i , ed3) certain. Thesfive addee stoneb o th e y etw o survivindt sma g Pictish symbol stones from Orkney (fig. 2). A lost carving of an eagle on a cist at Oxtro Broch, and the stone and bone objects, decor- ated with incised symbols, from the may also be included (PL lOb, c). The mirror symbol is one of the most common of the Pictish repertoire. Fox distinguished two main groups, namely those with a bar-handle with a ring at each end, for example on the stones from Greens Knowe th d Burriathosf d eo an an e, witn5) (nosd h an shape 3 . d secon e handles.th o t d s groui t I 1 p tha fragmene th t t fro Sande mth comparee Evif sb o y e belongsma t di particularld an , y wite hth symbols at Clynemilton No. 1 (Sutherland) and Aberlemno No. 1 (Angus).2 The three incised motifs fro Broce mth Gurnesf ho more sar e difficul paralleo t t Orkneyn i l . Rectangular symbols stonee occuth n sro from Redlan Soutd dan h Ronaldsabotn i t h casebu , 8) ys d (nosthee an yar 7 . highly ornamented internally with curvilinear designs rectangle Th . e withi rectanglna e b y ema compared with symbols Sculptor' e incisewale th th f o ln do s Cav t Coveseea a (Morayshired )an possiblCavo t Do Ease a e ytth Wemyss (Fife);3 divided rectangle othed an s r simple rectilinear Caveo Do foune ,e figure b Jonathan' th y n di sma Coure s th Cav d t eCavan e (Fife). circulae Th 4 r disrectangld an c e with square-indentatio e Brocs founni th t f Burriandha o , Greens, South Ronaldsay possibld bees Brouge an ha , n th t I t ya Birsaf possibld . ho 1) an . y8 , yno (nos3 , 2 . 1 Archaeol. Cambrensis c (1948), 39 f. 3 ibid., 129 ff., fig. 135 c; 373, fig. 389. 1 ECMS in, 39 f., fig. 36; 205, fig. 221. 4 loc. cit., 370 ff., figs. 389-90. 130 PICTISRITCHIEW NE HO SYMBOTW : L STONES FROM ORKNEY 131 suggested tha notchee tth indenter do d symbo northera s li n variety foun Orkneyn di , Caithness and Sutherland.1 Pictise Th h symbols foun Orknen d i somf o e ey ar interes mors ta e than half have been found in recorded contexts havo eTw . been foun burian di l deposit , whil 6) pebble d eth s an (nos e1 . from the Broch of Burrian was found in a cist half-filled with red ashes (no. 2). Four have been found during the excavation of brochs (nos. 2, 4, and 6) and a probable broch (no. 5), and it has been recorded that no. 7 may originally have been taken from the Broch of Redland. The pebble from Burrian and the lost slab from Oxtro are clearly secondary; the context of the decorated

FIG. 1. Symbol Stone from the .

FIG. 2. Distribution of Symbol Stones in Orkney.

bone from Burria t recordedno s ni , althoug placeexcavatos e i t th h i secone y db th n ri d phasf eo occupatio sitee t mighth I . n suggestene o b t d thaGurnese th t s stone provide datsa e between about the late fifth and eighth centuries A.D. for the huts clustered at the base of the broch. Althoug find-spoe hth stone th knowns f ei o t , howevert certaino s i intendes n t i ,tha wa t i t d partitioe th n originalli e n us wall decoratioe r yfo Th . n differ groupo s tw fro f Orknee so mth y examples, namel monumentae ysmalth d an ) l 8 talismani d an l slab7 , 5 c, s 3 piece (nos, 1 . s sucs ha Burriae th n objects , comparabl(no2) . e perhaps wit stone hth e disc from (),2 tha e simple b th ty ema inciset i d an d ornamen Gurnese th f o t s ston nature mors ei th a n f ei e o trial for a larger scheme. The writer is indebted to Mr J. L. Wilson, the finder of the Evie stone, and to Lord and Lady , in whose possession the stone is, for permission to publish it. Mr Stuart Cruden has kindly given permissio behalMinistrn e no th f fo Publif yo c Buildin Workpublicad e gth an r sfo - stone tioth f eno fro Broce mth Gurnessf providehs o ha d an ,d information abou contexts it t . The writer is greatly indebted to Mrs H. Walker and Miss M. Anderson for drawing attention to the Gurness stone and for much kindness on the site, and to Dr Anna Ritchie and Mr I. Ralston for their assistance durin preparatioe gth thif no s note.

1 Archaeol. (1963)x . cx f . 9 J 5 ,

Hamilton . (1956)C . R ,. J ,Excavations t Jarlshof,a 2 Shetland, 84, pi. xvii c; Archaeol. J., loc. cit. 132 1 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1968-9

CATALOGUE

1. Birsay, (Birsay and Harray) HY 239280, NMA IB 243 Broken slab found at the W. end of a triple grave belonging to the earliest series of graves in the cemetery. Pecke sofn do t flagstone. Symbols: circular disrectangled can , crescen V-rodd an t , 'elephant', eagle. Scene: three warriors wearing tunics, bearing swords, spears, shields. RCAMS . , fig,f. 57 .Orkney,4 , 1 . no Radford, C. A. R., The Early Christian and Norse Settlements at Birsay, Orkney, MPBW Guide (1959) , pi. 8 .17 , Wainwright Northerne Th , T. . IslesF , (1962) pi, . .xi 94 , 2. Burrian, Broch of Burrian () HY 762514, NMA GB 9 and GB 227 (PI. 10b, c) (a) Flat oblong pebbl brownisf eo h sandstone wit inciseo htw d crosseside othereon e andn th s o n ,o five-pointea d star ,point e threth f eo s contain small incised circles; ther alse ear o faint traces of a crescent. Secondary level of broch; in a cist, half-filled with ashes. (6) Phalanga l witx bono hf eo crescen s conveV-rod it an t n do x surfac d circulaan e r disd can rectangle with square indentatio opposite th n no e side. Broch, phas occupatiof eo t statednno . Another bone has incised marks showing no distinct form. Arch. Scot, v, pt. ii (1880), 341 f., fig. 352, fig. 1, 364; 345, 361, figs. 16 and 18, 364. Proc. Soc. Antiq. Scot, x (1872-4), 5 f., fig. p. 6; 18 ff., figs. 2 and 4. ECMS m, 26, fig. 23; 25, fig. 22. RCAMS, Orkney, no. 193, 47, figs. 90 and 91. Archaeol. (1963)x . cx f . 7 J 4 , 3. Green Andrewt s(S Deernessd 3 san 20 B 541031I Y )H A NM , Symbols: Circular disc and rectangle with square indentation, crescent and V-rod, mirror. Incised harn o d flagstone. Found far e closth m o et building t Greensa 1923n si . Proc. Soc. Antiq. Scot. Lvm (1923-4) ff.7 , 29 ,fig . 2 . RCAMS, Orkney, no. 651, 247, fig. 59. 4. Gurness, Broch of Gurness or Aikerness (Evie and Rendall) HY 381268, MPBW Museum, Gurness Symbols: Rectangles, circular disc with rectangle and square indentation. Found on top of a wall at the eastmost break in the rampart overlooking the inner ditch, the wall being a partition between two 'cubicles'. The account in PSAS xrv (1936-7), 9 ff., 'The Aikerness Stone', by J. Storer Clouston is misleading; the photograph, fig. 1 is heavily retouched, see p. 16 fn. 5. Knowe of Burrian (Birsay and Harray) HY 308168, House Museum, Symbols: eagle, crescent and V-rod, mirror. Found during the excavation of a probable broch. RCAMS . , fig,58 18 . Orkney, , 21 . no 6. Oxtro, Oxtro Broch (Birsay and Harray) HY 253268, lost Symbol: Eagle. Cists containing burnt bone and ashes were discovered during the excavation of the broch and an incise cise th t f coversdo eagle founds on .ewa n o Sai havdo t e bee farne builth m f o building t e int wale on oth f lo Boardhouset sa . RCAMS. f 1 ,1 Orkney,, 11 . no 7. Redland4 (Firth2 B 378171I Y )H A NM , Symbols: Rectangular symbol, crescent and V-rod. Incised on hard flagstone. Found in a cottage near Redland: said to have come originally from near the Broch of Redland. ECMS , fig20 . , 16m ,. RCAMS, Orkney, no. 345, 98 f., fig. 151. RITCHIE: TWO NEW PICTISH SYMBOL STONES FROM ORKNEY | 133 t Peter'8S . s Church (South Ronaldsay2 B 470908I D )A N NM , Symbols: Front, rectangular symbol, crescen V-rodd an t . Back, crescen V-rodd an t , circular disc rectangld an e with square indentation. Incised on hard flagstone. Stone formed the sill of a window in the Church. ECMS m, 20 f., figs. 17 and 17 A. RCAMS, Orkney, no. 842, 290, fig. 366. . Sand9 Evif so e (Evi Rendalld ean ) HY 372264 (PI. lOa). Symbol: Mirror.