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Article: Carver, Martin orcid.org/0000-0002-7981-5741 (2004) An Iona of the East : the early- medieval monastery at Portmahomack, . Medieval Archaeology. pp. 1-30. ISSN 0076-6097 https://doi.org/10.1179/007660904225022780

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[email protected] https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/ Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology sites/tarbat hita iso a salse hr ytelater the by there established was mission Christian nentoa ttsby status international 2007 aypriuast h sado oao h te ieo ctad h ou of focus The . anticipated. of unseen side in hitherto occasionally other Portmahomack, complementary at the centre although the estate, on ecclesiastical early that Iona monastic the propose of is Early-medieval investigation island to the the an plausible to of now particulars is site many it the complete, was yet peninsula not is programme fieldwork .Rbrsn .BihnadJ McNab, J. and Brichan J. Robertson, J. h abtPnnua hc usotit h oa it N.Soln) has since Scotland), (NE. investigation Moray archaeological the intensive into out under juts been which Peninsula, Tarbat The interests. Scottish and Pictish Scandinavian, between struggles political of DOI: with contacts had Portmahomack, which at institution, the cross-slabs by monastic Tarbat expunged been The objects, the have Cadboll. to of liturgical seems of art beyond, producing and Hilton brilliant Iona. Northumbria workshops the and with in in comparable survive centre and Nigg, prominence industrial books, former and including monastery’s possibly political the important of an Signs into developed had century o Scotland north-east in peninsula Tarbat the on located programme research NEW A ag-cl xoueo oatr nteln ftePcs aei rudta h eteetat settlement the that argued is case A the . the in of founded land the was in Portmahomack monastery a of exposure large-scale aihso Scotland of Parishes its rs-lb aejs sgo ouetlbcgon o h Bo fKls stecossof crosses the as Kells] of [Book Kells’, of The the do. Book for to the able background and were they monumental Andrews, ‘Northumbria work St Brown, a of from churches sort stones T. good or what of Julian monasteries show groups as court Iona’: the . were, . more just or they . or where Northumbria make area ‘One Tarbat-Nigg say production: cross-slabs the cannot of we and Pictish if Vigeans centre and St possible Picts; Aberlemno, a the Meigle, as among Tarbat existed with have must Kells, of Book the District ls ywsa clsatclcnr ihcnat htwn eodPcln hscnr a aal of capable was centre This . . . Pictland Ross-shire’, beyond in Tarbat went at that inscription Latin contacts Pictish with ‘The centre Higgitt, J. ecclesiastical books’: an producing was by close 219 tTra,weeteeaefamnso ubro atclryfiecossas:I .Hnesn Ivres a ‘Inverness, Henderson, H. I. cross-slabs’: fine particularly of perhaps number — a foundation of ecclesiastical important fragments capital’, one are Pictish least there at where supported Tarbat, district this at that suggest certainly Ross Easter ( 1982 1 2 oatr tPrmhmc,Tra Ness Tarbat Portmahomack, at Monastery e ultno h abtDsoeyProgramme Discovery Tarbat the of Bulletin See h rp tPrmhmc a sindt hplo tClmab om ne,W Anderson, W. Innes, Cosmo by Columba St of chapel a to assigned was Portmahomack at crypt The – . 46 ), nIn fteEs:TeEarly-medieval The East: the of Iona An 10 (, 300 ,atp. . ie ecfradas henceforward cited , 1179 – 21 241 l hs ugmnsaesrnl nosdb h rsn apin(e below). (see campaign present the by endorsed strongly are judgements these All . / 91 007660904225022780 ( sblHnesnhsln ena doaeframnseya h abtst:‘h lb in slabs ‘The site: Tarbat the at monastery a for advocate an been long has Henderson Isabel . – 2 108 1975 vols.), nLrieMceno oharc (ed.), Dochrarroch of Maclean Loraine in ), 2 106 : 2 (Edinburgh, onHgitatcptdamnsi citru:‘tTra rsmweevery somewhere or Tarbat ‘At scriptorium: monastic a anticipated Higgitt John . 800 Bulletin By n hrl fewrswsprl etoe n largely and destroyed partly was afterwards shortly and , ttetm fwiig( writing of time the At . ATNCARVER MARTIN rgnsPrcilsScotiae Parochiales Origines 6 1851 hcnuy osbyb oub isl,adb the by and himself, Columba by possibly century, th – 2 55 ), h e xaain aesonta a that shown have excavations new The 1 434 – 1 7 uinBonmd aefraPcihpoeac for provenance Pictish a for case a made Brown Julian . ( 1995 – 2003 2002 : h u fteHighlands the of Hub The h niute clsatcladTrioilo the of Territorial and Ecclesiastical Antiquities The h xaaincmag sdet ns in finish to due is campaign excavation the ) otdat posted ) 11 hcnuy rbbyi h context the in probably century, th 6 hcnuy a rw to grown had century, th http// 1994 nl-ao England Anglo-Saxon rc o.Atq Scotland Antiq. Soc. Proc. :: york.ac.uk/dept/arch/sta : . h oko nens and Inverness of Book The 1 lhuhthe Although V r h first the ers , 1 ( 1972 , 8 112 th V ), / Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology 2

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c d fig. 1 (a) Aerial photograph of Portmahomack on the Tarbat peninsula, looking west, taken by Barri Jones and Ian Keillar in 1984.St Colman’s Church is the white building to the left of the picture. (b) St Colman’s church from the air looking north towards the , showing the cropmark of the surrounding ditch which is thought to have formed the monastic enclosure. Ian Keillar and Barri Jones 1984. (c) Tarbat Old Church, otherwise St Colman’s church Portmahomack. It became redundant in the early 20th century, was bought by Tarbat Historic Trust in 1980 for £1 and was restored and re-opened as a museum and Visitor Centre in 1999. (d) Excavations inside the nave of St Colman’s Church in 1997, looking east. All copyright University of York. Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology al-eivlmnseya otaoak3 portmahomack at monastery early-medieval

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c d fig. 2 (a) General view of excavations in the workshop area, looking south-east. (b) Evidence for metal-working. Top row: a cupellation tray and three moulds; bottom row: two whetstones, a possible touchstone and three crucibles. (c) Objects associated with the manufacture of leather, and possibly vellum. Top: two needles and a crescent-shaped knife; bottom: three pumice rubbers with suspension holes. (d) Rows of cattle metapodials set vertically into the ground. These are interpreted as the pegs from a vanished wooden stretcher for preparing vellum. All copyright University of York. Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology h meu fTra itrcTut oa oyaxost etr n eiethe revive and restore to anxious body local a Trust, Historic Tarbat of impetus the aicro ae pnigthe spanning dates radiocarbon hc oktefr fawd ic nlsn h hrhaanttesa na in sea, the against church the enclosing recorded (Fig. ditch Iona was at cropmark wide known a a that Jones, of of Barri reminiscent form and manner Keillar the Ian took by which Moray of survey aerial eahgl infiatdsoey nta tcridaLtnisrpini Insular in inscription Latin presence. a monastic possible carried a it of that indication in an discovery, — significant majuscules highly a be ae rmti ic uigatilecvto yJl adnin Harden Jill by excavation trial a during ditch this from taken eea rget fErymdea cltr rmS omnscucyr and churchyard Colman’s St from sculpture environs. Early-medieval of fragments several Edinburgh, Tairbert. .Close-Brooks, J. ulctlgeo h cltr st peri atnCre (ed.), Carver Martin in appear to is sculpture Volume the Ross. of catalogue full A omn,btcnas era s‘oto oub’ e eo,note below, see Columba’: of ‘Port as read be also can but Colman’, 4 h xaain r tl npors n a ese tfis hand. first the at alert seen be may while can account archaeologists and and progress preliminary historians in this medieval still that are early excavations of hoped the advice is the It invite and solved. problems the interest be of the some to highlight present remain and to significance designed that their is assess report far, so interim made This discoveries memory. communal the from erased .RmlyAlnadJ Anderson, J. and Allen Romilly J. et ohaeshvn ihasmlg fCasIPcihsculpture. Pictish I north- Class the of to assemblage strip rich Golspie the a and having south-east areas the both to west, Burghead at centres known hnwc n ig h ilg fPrmhmc eeoe ett sheltered a to next o developed Cadboll, which Portmahomack of beach of Hilton sandy village at The situated Nigg. originally and monuments rather Shandwick renowned II is Class which outstanding itself, three peninsula the for from absent conspicuously are stones eivlpeeesr(Fig. predecessor medieval (Fig. uthv etrdals otg ot cosisnc hc aers othe to rise gave which neck its across route portage lost Tarbat. a placename featured have must eiae oS omn an Colman, St to dedicated cltr on pto up found sculpture 1994 capitals’, eog oteTra ru ihapoeac ttePrmhmc site. Portmahomack the at provenance a with group Tarbat the to belongs Ross’, 6 3 4 5 7 8 hre Cordiner, Charles .H edro,‘h rgncnr ftePcihsmo stones’, symbol Pictish the of centre origin ‘The Henderson, H. I. .J Watson, J. W. Ibid., igt,o.ct nnote in cit. op. Higgitt, .Hre,‘ oeta rhelgclcnetfrteeryCrsinsupue tnsfo abt Easter Tarbat, from stones sculptured Christian early the for context archaeological potential ‘A Harden, J. ). 221 h rsn apinwsluce rmtepafr fteefidnswith findings these of platform the from launched was campaign present The h abtpnnua(Fig. peninsula Tarbat The uigthe During 1 a). 45 209 – 6 h odfrpraeapasi alcsekn ctadwt aiu plig,sc sTretor Tarbert as such spellings, various with Scotland Gaelic-speaking in appears portage for word The . 1780 1 4 6 – nC ore(ed.), Bourke C. in : 33 ic xrce rmtegre alo h as (Fig. manse the of wall garden the from extracted piece A h eisl tefmyhv nebe oenal niln,and island, an nearly more been once have may itself peninsula The tde fS.Cla’ hrh t uilGon n eoil,c Memorials, and Ground Burial its Church, Colman’s St. of Studies its tnsi urbnCsl Museum Castle Dunrobin in Stones Pictish ), nF ’aoy(ed.), O’Mahony F. in lc ae fRs n Cromarty and Ross of Names Place 66 – niute n cnr fteNrho Scotland of North the of Scenery and Antiquities 1997 7 19 onStuart, John . 5 hand th 2 nars bv h rsn ilg tnsTra l Church, Old Tarbat stands village present the above rise a On dm Tedslysrp fteBo fKlsadtetaiino nua decorative insular of tradition the and Kells of Book the of script display ‘The idem, ; a efudin found be can ff r n ftebs adn-lcsi h oa it region Firth Moray the in landing-places best the of one ers rmteIlso h North the of Isles the From h al hita ouet fScotland of Monuments Christian Early The VLAINADDESIGN AND EVALUATION 20 1 c). cltrdSoe fScotland of Stones Sculptured 18 h oko Kells of Book The hcnuisgaeigr n niure unearthed antiquaries and gravediggers centuries th hcnuysrcuewihhspoe ocnela conceal to proved has which structure th-century atncarver martin 2 3 dt the to nd Bulletin isi h er fnrhr itad between Pictland, northern of heart the in lies ) Rp.Evanton, (Repr. , (Derby, 4 : : al eivlAti rln n Britain and Ireland in Art Medieval Early rceig faCneec tTiiyCleeDublin College Trinity at Conference a of Proceedings o.ct nnote in cit. (op. 6 hcenturies th 1989 , naSre fLtest hmsPennant Thomas to Letters of Series a in (Aberdeen, 1 ). 43 ) apeo rai material organic of sample A b). . 1996 h its oatr tPrmhmc,Easter Portmahomack, at Monastery Pictish The rc o.Atq Scotland Antiq. Soc. Proc. (Edinburgh, 1 .TepexT eoe htapiece a that denotes TR prefix The ). ), 550 a.d. 46 1856 – otaoakmas‘otof ‘Port means Portmahomack . 1950 ,I, ), 8 7 1903 rvsoa aaou of catalogue provisional A . In 11 I l.xxadxxxvi. and xxx pls. II, ; ,III: ), 1991 1984 (Belfast, , 4 91 73 )poe to proved a) uigan during , ( aethree gave – 1958 5 Lno and ( 3 1995 and (Aldershot, ls I Class ), ), 44 88 226 – – 60 95 . ; . Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology h abtpnnua hwn h oaino otaoak itno abl,Ng n hnwc.Inset: Shandwick. and Nigg Cadboll, of Hilton Portmahomack, of location the showing peninsula, Tarbat The al-eivlmnseya otaoak5 portmahomack at monastery early-medieval oaino h abtpnnuai Scotland. in peninsula Tarbat the of Location fig . 3 oyih nvriyo York of University Copyright . Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology tem a n ilpn a uidbnahamteo oeof more or metre a beneath buried lay mill-pond evaluation a the and Although where dam Field, Glebe sand. plough-soil. the a accumulated of pure part stream, nevertheless central the of it underlying enclosure, a deposit the subsoil deep plough within the the map settlement a to in of failed likely cobbles traces on the were beach there to lay of neighbouring that point presence confirmed otherwise to the a able by which was him Johnson, years, to soil many suggested Duncan for buildings, site of valuable: local the site of ploughed particularly had knowledge who The proved resident excavations. test also three farmers by supplemented sensing, remote nvriyo okudroka vlainwihldt h eino new a of design the to led which evaluation an undertook project. York of University abtDsoeyPorme)wt h etrto ftecuc n its and church the As of Centre’). Discovery Tarbat restoration (‘The (‘The centre peninsula the visitor Tarbat and museum the with a on as Programme’) and development Portmahomack Discovery at both Tarbat research of gramme 6 hnrdnatcuc fS omn In Colman. St of church redundant then negro atebefore Castle Invergordon ctad(IB Scotland ihPcihsmoso h side. the on symbols Pictish with 9 ersne yTR by represented a rgeto ncie tn icvrdi h adnwl fteMnea otaoakadtknto taken and Portmahomack at Manse the of wall garden the in discovered stone inscribed of Fragment (a) ulse in Published ommrtsa niiulwoenm eisRo n a rgnlypr facos huh to thought cross, a of part originally was and . . Reo. begins name whose individual an commemorates ncmeoain e.Li.i hc’I sraie nrle n xctdi nua aucls It majuscules. insular in executed and relief in realised is It .hac.’ . . Reo..Lii..die commemoratione in h osqetpoetdsg a opst a composite a was design project consequent The 9 h rpakecouewsfis iie noznsadeaie by examined and zones into divided first was enclosure cropmark The 286 Bulletin .()Lwrpr facossa ihtnn etrn ln col n nuietfidscene, unidentified an and scroll, plant a featuring tenon, with cross-slab a of part Lower (b) ). 20 , 1 seFig. (see ( 1995 1903 ). h ncito ed I oieJssCrsi[H R]cu hit [XRI] Christi crux XRI] [IHS Christi Jesus nomine ‘In reads inscription The . 10 rwn yInG Scott G. Ian by Drawing ). rw oyih RCAHMS Copyright Crown atncarver martin (IB fig 190 (TR . 4 ). 1 1994 ipae nteNtoa uem fScotland of Museums National the in displayed ; (TR 10 tteTutsivtto,the invitation, Trust’s the at , ipae nteNtoa uem of Museums National the in Displayed ; ff i,itgaigapro- a integrating air, Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology eind -hpdi ln tecigfo h hrhadt h otenrnof run southern the (Fig. to churchyard ditch the enclosure from the stretching plan, in T-shaped designed, neiro h hrhwsecvtdi dac fisrfriheta display a as refurbishment its of advance in (Sector excavated was centre church the of interior eodtecuc od(Sector road church the beyond orpae:fis,tewoeo h apeae ntefilsbyn h church the beyond fields the in area sample the of whole the (Sectors first, phases: four giutrlatvte eebogtt ih tsm itnefo h hrh near church, the from and distance industrial some boundary. at where enclosure light Galloway) Lowe the to Chris and brought by (Dumfries were demonstrated activities Hoddom was agricultural agricultural at This and excavations elsewhere. industrial rescue lie the but may may in activity, church settlement ritual surviving the earlier A of of area. motor site considerable the a mark over likely spread very be may monastery early ent aedtie tde fteatvt-ra thsrvae (Fig. revealed has has operations it of activity-areas phase the fourth of the studies interior, detailed the make to of been geography basic the provided ht agl nteitrsso osrain hyhv eneaie nasmall a on o examined which been layout been internal have has that they a of main Britain conservation, little be The revealing of in so was. to interests sites scale, monastery the assumed monastic early in initially Early-medieval an largely known that, what not knew examining was we in site assume problem The we did the settlement. nor of purported monastery, concerns the the of for aspects respect in with deposits to accordance Access in west. in community. and were limited and descendant south centre, excavation was its display for to a churchyard Areas church as the the developed inquiry. surrounded be the which to by fields was the which required project church, research scale the the large within allowed available the local turn at and in amenity proceed this social to research, and in Acknowledgements), interested (see investors enterprise from support won it such n cnm ftemnsi omnt.Tece r ooiul ine notoriously are Trenches community. monastic the of economy and nesadn al-eivlstsi rti,o vnfreautn them. evaluating di for have even instruments or other Britain, and in Geophysical sites Early-medieval understanding hrce ftewls n oedi discontinuous and more shallow and the walls, and burial the of of depth uneven character the to owing buildings, ai ru n hmsCac (eds.), Clancy Thomas and Braun Davit ufc niain nstsasmdt eshort-lived. be to on assumed depended monasteries sites often early has in layout where of indications Ireland, knowledge in preserved, surface better Even and system. known better contemporary are a to belong may 1999 ( sflnndsrcietcnqei h vlainsaeo edrsac.A otaoak h apeae was area sample the Portmahomack, At research. field of of stage modules evaluation in the opened in technique non-destructive useful pndfrdtie study. detailed for opened 1991 10 11 12 13 f h eetestecigo oa .OSlia,‘oa rhelgclinvestigations archaeological ‘Iona: O’Sullivan, J. Iona: of trenching relentless the Cf. .Herity, M. .Lw,‘e ih nteAginmntra Hoddom’, at minster Anglian the on light ‘New Lowe, C. Srpadmp ossso eoigtepog oladcenn n eodn h ufc xoe.I sa is It exposed. surface the recording and cleaning and soil plough the removing of consists ‘Strip-and-map’ ), ), 235 ihteefcosi id otnosecvto raof area excavation continuous a mind, in factors these With h betvsfrecvto eet xmn h iul oiladeconomic and social ritual, the examine to were excavation for objectives The 11 – . 35 1 al-eivlmnseya otaoak7 portmahomack at monastery early-medieval . tde nteLyu,BidnsadAti tn fEryIihMonasteries Irish Early of Stone in Art and Buildings Layout, the in Studies and 2 4 4 a pndb h ehiu f‘strip-and-map’. of technique the by opened was ) .Tid hr a r-mtv xaaino house-plot a of excavation pre-emptive a was there Third, ). × 8 ,sae npatcadrbre ‘ti-a-n-rp) ra eesbeunl re- subsequently were Areas (‘strip-map-and-wrap’). reburied and plastic in sealed m, 12 5 .Teecvto ea in began excavation The ). psScottorum Spes 3 .Tesrpigo sectors of stripping The ). ffi ut tl ndtriigwihanomalies which determining in still culty : oeo ct.SitClma oaadScotland and Iona Columba, Saint Scots. of Hope rn.Dmre alwyNt it ni.Soc Antiq. Hist. Nat. Galloway Dumfries Trans. ffi ut nmpigsubterranean mapping in culty ff r e oteorganisation the to key a ers 1995 11 h e lmnso an of elements key The (London, n a rcee in proceeded has and 1995 1 1875 13 and ,i–vii. ), – 1996 eod the Second, 0 . ff 6 5 2 (Edinburgh, ciein ective , .These ). 215 awas ha having – 43 ., 46 10 in Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology 8 h xaainae,soigtegorpyo h eteeta nw in known as settlement the of geography the showing area, excavation The atncarver martin fig . 5 2003 . oyih nvriyo York of University Copyright . Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology ere n ot il a de o h ar (Church laird the for added was aisle north a and degrees esdwti h hrhecp o h aiiso h rsorc n h minister, the di and aristocracy were the these of families as the for insofar except church the within ceased rmisfudtosin foundations its from omk hti nepee saprs hrho the of church parish a as interpreted is what make to h eomto,hr around here Reformation, the 4 3 al n otie ipeamr,i huh orpeetterlco stone a of relic the represent to thought is the aumbry, of simple church a contained and walls (Fig. (Church oecvt xesvl ihntebidn (Fig. building the within extensively excavate to rgam otne,istresbigtedfiiino h al omo the Portmahom- of at Shandwick site form Hilton, monastic the of early with sites association below). the the their (see of ack of of nature function the definition and the Nigg, route, the and portage being likely the targets peninsula, its continues, programme tipdo harling. of stripped n eteeto h its eidteermisuncertain. remains there period of character Pictish as and known the location an village, the out of medieval but A chapel, carried settlement the Hilton. team around Chapel, York any being defined Mary’s the original was St (the Fisher, Scotland), of cross-slab Cadbol of site Cadboll the Museum of of National Hilton evaluation the the of in replica displayed a erect to (Figs. style, places in Durham grandeur Portmahomack these to of and directly each relates since date of which particular, cross-slab in theatre monumental Cadboll the a of as features Hilton and proposed Nigg was Shandwick, of area Firth Moray operations, whole the Initially excavation. (September 7 netgtosaenwcmlt pr rmteecvto fteeris ( earliest the of excavation the from apart complete now are investigations ra a esmaie as summarised be may areas hmad ot fta,an that, of south and, them pcait t.York. Ltd. Specialists n ueossalfamnsfo h itncossa eercvrd(.Fse n .Jms es comm.). pers. James, collar-stone H. and and base Foster original before (S. the cross-slab which recovered the of were of result cross-slab position a Hilton the as the Scotland, confirmed from Historic This by fragments chapel small subsequently the were numerous trenches of and Exploratory end Trust. west Civic Ross the Easter through and dug by Durham Jane through commissioned ieeae otk nicsdddcto oAeadrDu Alexander to dedication incised an take to erased side 14 15 16 ,wt rp ttees n icroaigteearlier the (incorporating end east the at crypt a with ), .Ti uligwsetne tbt nsi the in ends both at extended was building This ). hcnuy hsso h okhp,wihcniusa h ieo writing of time the at continues which workshops, the of phases th-century) Bulletin .O .Carver, H. O. M. eod aeb rdGde fIvres h rjc rhtc,adAnteReo il Archaeology Field of Roe Annette and architect, project the Inverness, of Geddes Fred by made Records h eubsmn fS omnscuc rvdda potnt o only not opportunity an provided church Colman’s St of refurbishment The h uvywsdsge opoieacnetfrtestlmn eeldby revealed settlement the for context a provide to designed was survey The 6 .Tees alo h rp,wihwso di a on was which crypt, the of wall east The ). , 1 2 , al-eivlmnseya otaoak9 portmahomack at monastery early-medieval 4 per ohv to ln,bfr hne a de tises end east its at added was chancel a before alone, stood have to appears ) . 14 2003 u h ou a ic hfe oteTra eisl,adt h sites the to and peninsula, Tarbat the to shifted since has focus the but 8 hcnuy(Church century th H HRHADISBRA GROUND BURIAL ITS AND CHURCH THE ). itno Cadboll of Hilton 16 hswr o work This ff 1756 rn.Atrapro fnget hscuc a rebuilt was church this neglect, of period a After erent. 15 giutrlarea agricultural workshops : (Church and nAcaooia sesetadPoetDesign Project and Assessment Archaeological An 1560 ff rdasqec fcuce ntesm spot same the on churches of sequence a ered 16 h xso osi a oae through rotated was worship of axis the , 1 1676 .Arcaglrcl ihasuhdoorway south a with cell rectangular A ). ett h hrh a church, the to next .Floiga ntaieb h aeJane late the by initiative an Following ). 6 ff n gi oie ihatwo-storey a with modified again and ) hni a eue sarcmetsa n h cross- the and slab recumbent a as re-used was it when , n i he wives. three his and one ythe by bounded 1 )btas orcr l t fabric its all record to also but d) 13 ff rn lgmn oteother the to alignment erent 11 hcnuy(ofr Church form (to century th th– 8 mill-pond hcnuycuc) At church). th-century 5 nlsr ditch enclosure 12 .A hstm,burial time, this At ). hcnuy(Church century th (York, 15 otesuhof south the to h survey The 1998 l these All . ,areport a ), 6 h to th- 90 Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology 10 atncarver martin

fig. 6 Plan of the excavations in the church showing walls of different periods, Phase 1 burials and locations of carved stones in situ. Inset: Six of the eight phases of church building, shown diagrammatically. Copyright University of York. Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology ag fti atrgopwudapa ob rmaround from be to appear would group latter this of range eprllmt h eodpaeo uil hw itiuino e,women (Fig. men, normal of more distribution demographically a is shows burials that of children phase and second The limit. temporal hc r ihu tn etns nld h s fsrusadco and shrouds of use the include settings, stone without are which otie rget fca ol,dolt fboz n hrolwihwas Church which of charcoal and foundation bronze the of droplets with the mould, to associated clay radiocarbon-dated of stratigraphically fragments be contained may which ncie ntocroce e noiswls o the For walls. its into set cartouches two on inscribed h efudto in re-foundation the (Churches aa ighsdmntae httemjrt fteePhase these of majority the that demonstrated has King Sarah changing their the classes, social of their chronicle community, the illuminating God. of their and an members minister the provides between and relationships dates, documentary h eetet Century Seventeenth the ragdaon h ed(ha-upr’bras Figs. burials: (‘head-support’ head the around arranged euae oatre a eludrwyi h ad fDvdIfo about from I David Church of produce hands (to Portmahomack the at in architecture way under well 1130 was monasteries regulated ot il fChurch of aisle north hc etrsln itgae (Figs. graves cist long features which (ed.), net o,Mri oe n h uhr o nitrmrpr see report interim an For author. the and Jones Martin Roe, Annette ot il ntelate the in aisle north einda igero etnua ulig:M aeadA aln Tesuyo al hrhacietr in architecture church early of study ‘The Hamlin, viewpoint’, A. Anglo-Saxon and Hare an M. Ireland: buildings: rectangular single-room as designed igeadIeahpnnua,soe htsxoto ieamre cu nhis in occur aumbries nine of out six that showed Type peninsulas, Iveragh and Dingle ideae redrymnadteeris a enrdoabndtdt around to radiocarbon-dated been has earliest the a.d and men elderly or middle-aged to aeso itr,Acietr n rhelg nHnu fD .Taylor H. Dr of Honour in Archaeology and Architecture History, on Papers etnua ulig,wieabcmrlcuc ol emr ieyaconstruc- a likely more be would the simple church of be bicameral would tion Scotland a in while churches document- early buildings, the very rectangular with that is made expectation equations The and record. ary elsewhere structures early with analogies hss nvriyo Cork, of University thesis, t omrE–.ai n h aewsfrihdwt o es(Church to pews returned box with worship furnished Church, was nave Old the Tarbat erected and now was axis which Colman’s, E.–W. former Church, St its Free In the beach. for the Colman’s nearer St deserted congregation the of Church eivlcuc ntenrh otatn nune ntedoee fRs n Caithness’, and Ross of dioceses the in influences contrasting north: the in church medieval O ´ 17 20 18 19 Carraga ai aGbo n hmsRoss, Thomas and MacGibbon David hoildfrS omnsfo ouetr,acietrladacaooia vdneb rdGeddes, Fred by evidence archaeological and architectural documentary, from Colman’s St for Chronicled p i.i note in cit. Op. lxne rsradFna Munro, Finlay and Fraser Alexander 12 . itlnso osadSutherland and Ross of Firthlands 560 ihivsmn ntecuc n h osqeteaoaino the of elaboration consequent the and church the in investment High . h uil ihntecuc iieit w rnia hss h aletof earliest the phases, principal two into divide church the within burials The h aigo hssqec a eido taicto,rdoabndating, radiocarbon stratification, on relied has sequence this of dating The hcnuycuc (Church church th-century 2 ´ n r-oaeqeCuce nIead nepeigAcaooia einlss(nu.Ph.D. (unpub. Regionalisms Archaeological Interpreting Ireland: in Churches Pre-Romanesque in, 1 hrhs(al otrd,dtn othe to dating mortared), (early churches (Fig. al-eivlmnseya otaoak11 portmahomack at monastery early-medieval a eapiayfaue nIead Toma Ireland, In feature. primary a be may 11 6 th– 17 8 to Tab. ; (Edinburgh, , 74 12 8 . ,teacaooia eunecudb lsl lge to aligned closely be could sequence archaeological the ), 2002 hcentury. th 1227 1 18 5 ), .Braso hspaewr u ytews alo the of wall west the by cut were phase this of Burials ). 20 80 tPrmhmc a encntutdby constructed been had Portmahomack at hcnuy(Church century th 1896 (Edinburgh, 11 . fteAbya er e ie otesouth. the to miles few a Fearn at Abbey the of 131 hcnuy(Tab. century th ), 9 abtEse Ross Easter Tarbat – 17 h aoiyo r-oaeqecuce nIeadapa obe to appear Ireland in churches pre-Romanesque of majority The . h clsatclAcietr fSoln.Fo h aletCrsinTmsto Times Christian Earliest the From Scotland. of Architecture Ecclesiastical The 45 h ubyi h uvvn alo h putative the of wall surviving the in aumbry The nL .S ulradR .Mri (eds.), Morris K. R. and Butler S. A. L. in 1986 2 e Fig. see ; 6 ). and : itrclSketch Historical A 7 7 1 )adgae ihoeo w stones two or one with graves and a) .A h irpinof Disruption the At ). .Teetbiheto aihsand parishes of establishment The ). 6 CARs Rep. Res. (CBA ,adti rbbymrstheir marks probably this and ), Bulletin 8 th– 4 ´ ol ecmail with compatible be would ) sO , 3 9 ´ (Evanton, ( hcenturies. th 1997 Carraga 6 8 a.d 60 n h uilrites, burial the and ) and ). London, , 17 1 . th– rvsaetoeof those are graves 1100 1988 ´ h nl-ao Church Anglo-Saxon The 7 47 nssuyo the of study in’s ) nlssby Analysis b). ffi 20 – ;R .Cn,‘The Cant, G. R. ); 1623 1843 58 1986 s h date- The ns. tebuilding (the hcenturies th 18 nJ .Baldwin R. J. in ), bell-pit A h date the , h bulk the , 8 134 ). 19 Toma ; 11 The th- ´ 2 s : Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology hrolfo elcsigpt( pit bell-casting from Charcoal kltnwt edwudfo uil ot GU- post- burials from wound head with Skeleton aigChurch dating hrh(Int church kltnwt edwudfo eeeyi h GU- the in cemetery from wound head with Skeleton hrh(Int church kltnwt edwudfo eeeyi h GU- the in cemetery from wound head with Skeleton nlsr ic nSector in ditch enclosure hrolfo h liaebcfiln fa ne OxA- inner an of backfilling ultimate the from Charcoal nlsr ic nSector in ditch enclosure ntecuc (Int church the in odnstake Wooden kltnfo n fteeris ogcs rvsOxA- graves cist long earliest the of one from Skeleton okhp.(Int workshops. 12 un odfo etuto ae vrOxA- over layer destruction from wood Burnt Context a al-eivl‘itgae ttews n fS omnscuc;()‘edspotbra’a h etend west the at burial’ support ‘Head (b) church; Colman’s St of end west the at grave’ ‘cist Early-medieval (a) AICRO AE RMPRMHMC [CALIBRATED] PORTMAHOMACK FROM DATES RADIOCARBON 20 20 /F /F nsitu in 2 26 132 138 (Int 20 / 1030 ntesd fteotrOxA- outer the of side the in /F / / 20 1307 1238 152 /F ) 1 1 fS omnschurch. Colman’s St of 93 / ) ) (Int (Int 1373 / 1222 20 11 11 ) /F /F /F atncarver martin ) 107 18 158 / / / 1143 T 1220 1490 be1 able fig oyih nvriyo York of University Copyright ) . OxA- ) 7 ) a.rf Date ref. Lab. 281189 9298 27890 9297 26733 9296 03 1060 10536 62890 9662 05 690 10159 69535 9699 64400 9664 Early Late 9 8 Early Early Late Late . / / 10 9 hcentury th ( ( ( ( ( ( 1 1 68 68 65 68 hcentury th ( ( 11 6 5 1 1 sigma) sigma) 13 10 8 hcentury th hcentury th . . . . sigma) sigma) 2 2 8 2 hcentury th hcentury th %) %) %) %) hcentury th hcentury th 985 780 605 540 981 886 1090 1258 A.D. A.D. A.D. A.D. A.D. A.D. A.D. A.D. Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology iga hwn h e-adaerneo uil fPhase of burials of age-range and sex- the showing Diagram al-eivlmnseya otaoak13 portmahomack at monastery early-medieval atrSrhKing). Sarah (after fig . 8 1 Erymdea)adPhase and (Early-medieval) 2 (High-medieval) Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology ob oko around of work be to gr faba n w ofotdlos odn toe h afcraeo deer a of carcase half the over it lording ornament lions, spiral confronted of two (Fig. panels and bear with a cross of a figure of elements the and (Fig. beast composite a side uvvsa aedcrtdwt nihbtdpatsrl n arigPictish carrying and plant-scroll inhabited an (TR with edge one decorated along base symbols a as survives altar. Dns rs’ etrspnl fitraeadsaehae col (TR scrolls snake-headed and interlace of panels features Cross’, ‘Danish a ncito,wihfaue h aesioomtria n eest rs of cross Latin a to discovered refers previously and terminal the spiroform same with (TR the Christ cross-slab features which monumental inscription, this associated hr rs-lbi ersne yalreboko avdsoercvrdfo the from recovered stone carved of the block of large vault a by east represented is cross-slab third hudteeoeb wleo hrenfiue nterwhsifre Elizabeth informed has row the in figures (Fig. thirteen reconstruction or Hooper’s twelve be therefore should asv lc ihalo n ori eifo t ie n rs toeend one at cross a and side, its on relief in boar and lion a (TR with block massive etclsotdps hc a eaet iia tutr (TR structure similar a to relate may which post slotted vertical a ml a lb ern rse nie ri eif hc r ena grave-markers as ( seen and are masonry which architectural relief, in or incised ( crosses bearing slabs flat small nrle n rce osadvrial ihfu ie iil.Tegrave-markers The visible. sides four with di vertically of stand crosses to include erected and relief in nw rmIn (Fig. Iona from known Portmahomack from larger) the and below), hand (see a exceeds of Field size Glebe now the the (of in pieces stone workshops carved disused of the number in found material the and aiyo ate osbyfntoiga ato hieor shrine a of part as functioning possibly cattle, of family a hr eado ign ntecuc:tedsoeyo ag ubrof of foundations number the large in incorporated a been the of had of pieces graves discovery some the Church the since with burial, associated church: of be the phase may first in These sculpture. digging Early-medieval of of pieces reward third a was aewsdiscouraged. was nave fthe of 14 fChurch of 22 23 21 24 2 lb n lcsfauigfiz eoainadpsil eiigfrom deriving possibly and decoration frieze featuring blocks and slabs ) le n nesn p i.i note in cit. op. Anderson, and Allen icvrdb il oeto.Mra n lyo h tn hwdi a enepoe ntefoundations the in employed been had it showed stone the on clay and Mortar Robertson. Niall by Discovered e a Fisher, Ian See h artl ftefiuescn rmtergtsget h psl nrw(ihr aly es comm.). pers. Bailey, (Richard Andrew apostle the suggests right the from second figure the of hairstyle The 22 11 h raetadioorpyo h otaoakcossassosthem shows cross-slabs Portmahomack the of iconography and ornament The tlattremnmna rs-lb nesoda otaoak One Portmahomack. at stood once cross-slabs monumental three least At nadto otevlal eune fcuc-ulig n uil,there burials, and church-buildings of sequences valuable the to addition In 10 10 hcnuycuc (Church church th-century ,poiinlyitrrtda ato tigcus,asrohgsldo an or lid sarcophagus a string-course, a of part as interpreted provisionally ), ) h lrc aebe dnie sapostles, the as by identified surmounted been books have bearing clerics clerics The of b). group a other the on and a), 2 (Fig. 10 2 )tothe Figs. : al eivlSupuei h etHglnsadIslands and Highlands West the in Sculpture Medieval Early 150 6 18 hymyb lsie sblnigt he angop:( groups: main three to belonging as classified be may They . .Tgte ihtennte rget eoddbefore recorded fragments nineteen the with Together ). hcnuycuc in church th-century ff 2 16 and a rn ye,mn fte aigacoea close a having them of many types, erent a.d hcnuy(h eomto) fe hc uilwti the within burial which after Reformation), (the century th 9 . ). 2 800 21 n hni the in then and ) 10 3 6 icsblnigt ouetlcossasexecuted cross-slabs monumental to belonging pieces ) 1 h rhtcua icsicueapnlfauiga featuring panel a include pieces architectural The III, , c). Fig. : n lsl eae oteBo fKlsa ela to as well as Kells of Book the to related closely and 10 atncarver martin 88 ) nosrainb onaCoeBok has Close-Brooks Joanna by observation An d). SCULPTURE . 2 ) eod rpsdi the in proposed second, A b). 17 1997 hcnuyvuto h crypt. the of vault th-century (TR 20 (Edinburgh, Fig. : 24 cancellum n h data there that idea the and 10 2001 ). 23 ffi ,esp. ), tcriso one on carries It iyt examples to nity 27 (TR 19 Fig. : 28 hcnuyas century th 28 – 35 Fig. : . 9 n a and ) 2 1994 ). 22 11 1 A ), ) , Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology rv akr rmPrmhmc,wt oprbeeape rmIn n te ie nwsenScotland. western in sites other and Iona from examples comparable with Portmahomack, from markers Grave h otaoakgaemresaeo ipa tteTra icvr ete( Centre Discovery Tarbat the at display on are markers grave Portmahomack The al-eivlmnseya otaoak15 portmahomack at monastery early-medieval fig . 9 Bulletin , 3 ( 1997 ), 18 ). Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology hssi rp,Uiest fYr) mms rtflt eleMyrfrpriso orfrt e okin work her to refer to permission for Meyer Kellie to grateful most am I York). completion. of its of University advance prep., in thesis 16 neet,ohrtee,sc sS aladS nhn etn ntedesert the in meeting Anthony TR St (Portmahomack, and Paul Daniel aristocratic of St possible of Hilton as advertisement a the on such imply (Nigg), hunt may themes, the Nigg other as on motifs interests, such David of scenes initial the understanding Whereas the or sophisticated Kellie Cadboll, interpreted, literature. highly by a readily Patristic study had be and current carvers cannot a homiletic Tarbat iconography the of the that subject show all the findings is if sites even Cadboll. four of and, all Hilton Meyer, at and Shandwick sculpture Nigg, figurative at The erected monuments neighbouring the rmto fteeceisia n h oatcproject. monastic the and ecclesiastical the of promotion TR t nutiladarclua oo a enrvae necvtosi h Glebe the in excavations (Fig. in south revealed further been and has Field motor agricultural and industrial its its ybl cu nmnmnsa l orsts n htwiems are most while TR that Portmahomack and at those sites, cross, four the to all face at reverse the monuments on on emblazoned occur symbols Pictish hr edn oe eebigtknb niiul ihPcihnmsi the in names Pictish and with integrated, individuals the closely by of eve were taken the religious on being area the Firth were Moray and roles secular leading the where which in community ibn fsab e adtn n ace fpbls(Fig. by pebbles indicated of are patches structures and workshop sandstone the red road, slabby this of of once- south-westerly side ribbons a a in by either downhill crossed running On was side either direction. area drains The stone-lined workshops. with former road paved to attributed is which defined n fSector of end n fwihmyb ocsoefrgl sa (Fig. assay gold castings, for finishing touchstone for a whetstones be of for may cupellation number some which implies a which of including and is dish one moulds, metal) shallow Metal-working precious type, a ‘workshops’. of cross, triangular rubric a (separation and with the marked bowl under artefacts of producing grouped crucibles, be by upright to signalled by them (bordered allow rectangular and or strata (clay-lined) dark round of be contain sequences slabs). Some may contain renewed. periodically which features though as hearths linear sand, yellow these bright with by interleaved defined spaces square ea sagassu nadwt ieadeae,sc si on nthe on found is as such enamel, and wire with inlaid stud glass patten. Derrynaflan a is metal h deo h tn,i oiinaaoost h ai ncito are on carried inscription Latin the to TR analogous site, position same a the in from cross-slab stone, another the of edge the its ybl ersn names. represent symbols Pictish 26 25 27 osSmo,‘h eitrrtto ftePcihSymbols’, Pictish the of re-interpretation ‘The Samson, (Ph.D. Ross Ross Easter Peninsula, Tarbat the of Monuments Medieval Early the of Iconography The Meyer, Kellie ihe Ryan, Michael 20 ftecuc n uilgon rvd h iugclcnr o h settlement, the for centre liturgical the provide ground burial and church the If h aksrt aepoue ueosojcswihipymanufacturing imply which objects numerous produced have strata dark The n hrbmadSrpi Sadik hwasrn n well-informed and strong a show (Shandwick) Seraphim and Cherubim and ) h ernflnHoard Derrynaflan The 2 ,adneadcmlxpteno ubefudtoshsbeen has foundations rubble of pattern complex and dense a ), 27 ls-okn sipidb up,dolt n olsfor moulds and droplets lumps, by implied is Glass-working : 5 rlmnr Account Preliminary A H WORKSHOPS THE .Imdaeyws ftecucyr a h north the (at churchyard the of west Immediately ). atncarver martin 26 9 hcentury. th h abtsupuealw st mgn a imagine to us allows sculpture Tarbat The 10 (Dublin, / 20 .Bi.Acao.Ass Archaeol. Brit. J. hsrifre h iwta the that view the reinforces This . 1 ,teaote (Portmahomack, apostles the ), 1983 ). 25 2 ) mn h casof scraps the Among b). tcnas entdthat noted be also can It ., 145 ( 2 1992 ) h roughly The a). ), 29 – 65 1 . r on are Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology a c hwn h colonmn.()EiaehHoe’ eosrcino h rs-lb showing cross-slab, the of reconstruction Hooper’s Elizabeth (d) ornament. scroll the showing opst es n ato h rs.()[ak:Fu psls eradtoloswt the with lions two and bear a apostles, Four [back]: (b) cross. the of part and beast composite h ieypsto fteisrbdsoe(TR stone inscribed the of position likely the afcraeo er c sd]Sd iwo h ncie tn (TR stone inscribed the of view Side [side] (c) deer. a of half-carcase h aote tn,rmvdfo h ot alo h rp (TR crypt the of wall south the from removed stone, ‘apostle’ The hwdta h lc a toetm enicroae nChurch in incorporated been time one at had block the that showed Centre. a,()ad()cprgtUiest fYork of University copyright (d) and (b) (a), fig 10 . .TR ). 10 20 ; c rw oyih RCAHMS copyright Crown (c) sdslyda h abtDiscovery Tarbat the at displayed is 20 10 .Tae fmortar of Traces ). 2 eni Figure in seen ) a fot:The [front]: (a) . . 4 a, d b Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology ugs ewe s,aueu diiet ann ftelahrpoutnest be to needs wrapped product leather hide, the if the hearths tanning in of to creatures additive sea corners to useful of shells the a turned Tiny ash, pegs, tearing. to seaweed from The suggest them thongs prevent leather. to by pebble stretching a connected the for round as are frame identified tension, are wooden metapodials a increase the from leather: surviving fine of pegs treatment the with associated uzigwr oso hree atemtpdaspse noteground the into Initially pushed surface. metapodials leather cattle fine sharpened a suspension. for of finishing end and other (Fig. rows the smoothing at were hole for a puzzling serve have and would ends These flat their in fragments white 18 sucen,rsmln lsl oekonfo Iona. from known some closely resembling escutcheons, ede r bet ieyt aebe sdfrctigfiihn n stitching and bone finishing and cutting knife for being crescent-shaped used were been a tank sheep have while lined and to pit, a (Fig. likely area, cattle tanning Large leather objects workshop a that researcher. the are suggests finds In doubt needles culvert settlement. project no a the Tarbat leave at with the processed bones and Spall, animal husbanded Cecily of of amounts researches the of follicles by in covered chisel of a use the been and lathe. have wood-working a suggesting to wood-shavings, x-ray resembling by wood ferrified examination on proved has 28 h cl’soe xaae nteGeeFed(Sector Field Glebe the in excavated stone, ‘calf’ The h lbhdbe rknu oeieafter sometime up broken been had slab The rgnlypr fa of part originally ae hwn aiyo ateadcmoiebat avdo lbo oa l e adtn,perhaps Sandstone, Red Old local of slab a on carved beasts composite and cattle of family a showing panel naRitchie, Anna hr sas vdnefrlahrwrigwihhsbe ral illuminated greatly been has which leather-working for evidence also is There 2 )adascae ihsal on,wieo e ebe.Teetomybe may too These pebbles. red or white round, small, with associated and d) Iona 2 ) he oial hpdpee fvlai aacnanminute contain lava volcanic of pieces shaped conically Three c). cancellum (Edinburgh, abtDsoeyCentre. Discovery Tarbat vria are ewe h aeadtecacl.TR chancel). the and nave the between barrier (vertical 1997 ), 42 a atncarver martin . a.d . 800 fig 2 n eue oln n oe uvr.()Terestored The (b) culvert. a cover and line to re-used and . .()Te‘afsoe ntecus fdsoeyin discovery of course the in stone’ ‘calf The (a) ). oyih nvriyo York of University Copyright 11 28 b . ogmtli lump metallic long A 28 / 35 ndslya the at display on : 1998 . Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology eteo h on n,adasoelndfleldit h aeae rmthe from from area hammerscale same of the the traces into at revealed led hearth has flue a hearth-material stone-lined was the a side There of north and double-posts. the Analysis end, of On south. round pairs end. the west by square of supported the centre also at round the porch, triple-posts at of a roof groups the was four supported that and double-posts end internal east of pairs six featured and rmtehl-lp otesuh( rcieta culycniudhr,wt the with here, water continued collect ditch actually to that outer rather the practice the but into (a drains, defensive, of south rubble not of the character use was to and function hill-slope clay location have the its boulder rampart from The that the or doubt into ditch. bank little a and either of leaves cap for traces sand certain discerned the No wattle-work. been through with cut lined was was beneath, which ditch, outer The uligwihhsbe dnie skl-an(Fig. kiln-barn as identified been has which building ic teltro h w) h ne ic a enbcfildwt at and earth with backfilled the been of had debris metal-working ditch in inner rich deposit The enclosure a outer two). by an the and topped ditch sand, of enclosure proved later inner itself an (the ditch routes: enclosure ditch main The two defined. followed been here have have to Ages Middle Early the to nlsr ic (Fig. ditch enclosure etrsaeti ie fadpogigrnigN.S. itntv rmthe from distinctive NE.–SW., running ard-ploughing of later lines stratigraphically thin are features rie adbsd h nlsr ic.Tetpolhr ssalw n h subsoil the runnels. and and shallow, pits is post-holes, here numerous topsoil with The dam marked ditch. buried enclosure the the beside by land in drained locked water standing the (Fig. defeat to trying farmers successive ontemt h et usd u xaainae n rbbyudrthe lie under to probably likely and is area mill excavation horizontal our expected outside road. An so west, have modern pond. mill-stones the the or to querns likely from a rotary downstream provides recovered Five wall water. dam been the of through head far gap the a by and powered pond, a mill-race created it that doubt little fmsiesaswihfrspr fadmstars uidsra running stream buried a across set dam a of (Figs. part valley forms shallow a which down slabs massive of nteAtlantic the in al oatcwatermill’, monastic early hitpe eHamel, de Christopher nae ntemnfcueo vellum. been have of might manufacture these settlement the therefore, Portmahomack in the Cumulatively, engaged that writing. making would suppose take been to product to us have possible allow prepared to indications one surface argued a then with be leather, calf-skin thus whitened be can and workshops smoothed Tarbat stretched, the fine, If colour. in light 30 29 o eetsre hwn neapeo h ieyrlto fpns et n il e oi yn,‘The Rynne, Colin see mill, and leats ponds, of relation likely the of example an showing survey recent a For nlge a edanfo h ol n qimn sdt rpr oenvlu;sefrexample for see vellum; modern prepare to used equipment and tools the from drawn be may Analogies ewe h ne n ue ice n lge ihte to large a stood them with aligned and ditches outer and inner the Between nti ra otesuho h lb il (Sector Field Glebe the of south the to area, this In ttesuhesenedo h okhpae h ae odcossabridge a crosses road paved the area workshop the of end south-eastern the At 12 .T h ot h usi ufc eist lm gi nt atr better- flatter, to on again climb to begins surface subsoil the south the To ). (Dublin, al-eivlmnseya otaoak19 portmahomack at monastery early-medieval 30 2000 cie n Illuminators and Scribes h itdu ilpn a ae ihltrdan u by cut drains later with laced was mill-pond silted-up The 185 ). 1 – ) ormjrsrcue htpoal rcranybelong certainly or probably that structures major Four b). 213 rig nJnyWieMrhl n rla .Rourke, D. Grellan and Marshall White Jenny in hti eivli aeadoe-ustebackfilled the over-runs and date in medieval is that 5 20 , 12 ILADFARM AND MILL hcentury). th (London, and 13 29 1992 .Sudnsuhl es)o hsdmleave dam this of (east) uphill Soundings ). ), 11 – 13 . 14 .I a a-hpdi plan in bag-shaped was It ). 1 nFig. on ihIsland High 8 hto th 5 9 ,teearliest the ), : hcenturies. th nIihMonastery Irish An Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology 20 atncarver martin

fig. 12 Excavations in progress in Sector 2 in 2000, looking north. At the far end the workshop area, and in the centre the mill-pond, laced with later drains. Copyright University of York. Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology ( sawoewl efudt ei ntelater the in begin to found be will whole a as hrolfo ic akfil( back-fill ditch from charcoal nlsr ic a nueb h early the by use in was ditch enclosure century. one nalyro ec-obe adi rnhadtewlsaelkl ohave to likely are turf. walls were the in been wall-lines and The trench up had a block. in carried and same laid beach-cobbles the been timber of from layer squared cloven a of on all founded slabs, originally sandstone were with posts packed structural The smithing. uil ( burials hl.Peiiaydts(e Tab. (see dates Preliminary whole. nepee sakl-ano yekoni h etr se ni the until summer a Isles implies hammerscale Western the forge. the while a barley, as in of usage malting known and drying type out, laying a of kiln-barn a as interpreted 32 31 11 h nepeain rw rmteecvto n td fti tutr r wdlreyt eiySpall. Cecily to largely owed are structure this of study and Fenton, excavation A. the from drawn interpretations The hcnuy.Teepeiiayrslsse ojsiya supinta h site the that assumption an justify to seem results preliminary These century). th nitniepormeo aicro aigi neddfrtest sa as site the for intended is dating radiocarbon of programme intensive An asv tnsfrigtedmo h ilpn.Loignorth-east. Looking mill-pond. the of dam the forming stones Massive 32 6 h and th, al-eivlmnseya otaoak21 portmahomack at monastery early-medieval ctihCutyLife Country Scottish h u n h lseso ot ml nuprflo,prasfrthe for perhaps floor, upper an imply posts of clusters the and flue The 9 hto th rp.Es Linton, East (repr. 31 10 hcnuis,teotrecouedth( ditch enclosure outer the centuries), th hslreadacietrlycmeetbidn is building competent architecturally and large This 10 hcnuy n elptascae ihChurch with associated bell-pit a and century) th 1 DATING aes a enotie o he Phase three for obtained been far so have ) 1999 fig . 8 ), 13 hcnuy ninrdth hc may which ditch, inner An century. th 100 . 6 hcnuy n htteouter the that and century, th oyih nvriyo York of University Copyright 8 hcentury), th . 19 th 1 2 Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology 22 atncarver martin

fig. 14 Plan of a building (S1) with post-pits and a foundation trench filled with beach cobbles. It is provisionally interpreted as a kiln-barn, which also functioned as a smithy. Copyright University of York. Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology etr.Clmafuddtemnseya oain Iona at monastery the founded Columba century. togeooi ai,bt giutrladidsra,wih ecnsuggest, can we which, industrial, and agricultural the in both peaked basis, economic strong oub’ xeiinu h ra lna eoddb i igahrAdomna biographer his by recorded as Glen Great the up expedition Columba’s rtn nIn,adteVnrbeBd,wiigi arw ohi h early the in both Jarrow, in writing Bede, Venerable the and Iona, in writing otmoaydcmne oatcst nteIl fMay. the of at Isle found the was as on community, site monastic male a monastic predominately of The documented idea manuscripts. the contemporary of to making conform perhaps nature, would the ecclesiastical burials thus an and of the vellum, workshops objects The and composite including community. of general literate manufacture in and the learned sculpture indicate a The suggest monastery. particular in a inscription was Portmahomack at settlement i oteit ot-atr itad asn yLc esadmeigBie son Bridei meeting and Ness Loch by passing Pictland, north-eastern into sortie his otenotseie fistp ofrknown. far so type its of specimen northernmost nlsr a lobe eadda diagnostic. as regarded been also has enclosure tnso h abtpnnua its ybl r rmnnl ipae nthe on TR displayed on prominently and monuments are Hilton symbols and Pictish Shandwick peninsula. Nigg, Tarbat the on stones eto h ot.Teasmlg rmtewrso rai oprbeto comparable is Mark. area of such Mote brooches workshop for or moulds Dunadd the the no at either has from found but from are Iona, imported assemblage and as wholly Birsay The not Whithorn, at is south. found it material the area, the or to new west and Christian is culture radtdt around to dated area a.d a.d Church n .Campbell, E. and h its oatcstlmn sdi is settlement monastic Pictish the the odwr olce rmtecaca ae sealing layer charcoal the from collected were wood n hrolwt aicro aei h early the in debris glass date acquired radiocarbon that depression a shallow with a charcoal as visible and still was earlier, been have o uligi h late the in building for ogtuigsee dnie ar an n oa hc ilhv ida rna h aeo h fire. the of date the near or at died have will which flora, and fauna macro identified sieved using sought eanlrboce reconsidered’, brooches penannular n a enatiue oaVkn ad hygv aei h early the in date a gave They raid. Viking a to attributed been had and h ape en fhatod(hsls elbrt hthdde ntete ntelate the in tree the in died had that burnt) well less (thus heartwood of being samples the its n os id rmteBog fBirsay of Brough the from Finds Norse and Pictish hita Ireland Christian hrhArchaeology Church 33 34 35 37 36 na betlso ntedi the in lesson object an In .Hill, P. akBakun A ihhcnuyci rmteGeeField’, Glebe the from coin eighth-century ‘An Blackburn, Mark ..A .Thomas, C. A. E.g. .J Yeoman, J. P. ,wt h aoiyo h grtv avn n h rs-lb lcdaround placed cross-slabs the and carving figurative the of . majority the with ., 8 800 natatv otx o h onaino hsetbiheti rvddby provided is establishment this of foundation the for context attractive An hr r eea niain htbtenthe between that indications several are There h cltr sasge nathsoia rud othe to grounds historical art on assigned is sculpture The hcnuy(h aeo h cltr)adthe and sculpture) the of date (the century th htonadS Ninian St and Whithorn 2 l h raeti eycoeyprleldo h te monumental other the on parallelled closely very is ornament the All . ). al-eivlmnseya otaoak23 portmahomack at monastery early-medieval 33 (London, : ert fFf’ oyIsland Holy Fife’s of Secrets eerhDrcin o h Future the for Directions Research Dunadd 8 hcentury. th 6 h al hita rhelg fNrhBritain North of Archaeology Christian Early The hcnuy h ibrcudsilhv enbrti the in burnt been have still could timber The century. th : 1992 nEryDlidcCapital Dalriadic Early An ), ffi : 80 a.d ute fslcigmtra o aicro aig ape flrepee of pieces large of samples dating, radiocarbon for material selecting of culties h xaaino oatcTown Monastic a of Excavation The a ihr TeWs fScotland’, of West ‘The Fisher, Ian ; eivlArchaeol Medieval . 715 : h rhelg fteIl fMay of Isle the of Archaeology The 1934 DISCUSSION CARs Rep., Res. (CBA rgntsfo h hn-ot n sthe is and Rhine-mouth the from originates ffi – 74 utt eemn,btms aeli between lain have must but determine, to cult 8 ., (Edinburgh, (Oxford, hcnuyatfcsta oee uho h okhparea workshop the of much covered that artefacts th-century 26 ( 1982 34 porcupine A 2000 ), 41 104 1982 35 1984 37 – (Oxford, ), Bulletin 68 York, , 111 ;Rthe p i.i note in cit. op. Ritchie, ); h eteetcranyhsa has certainly settlement The 11 10 Mt fMark). of (Mote 5 – 1 563 Ff,nd.). (Fife, hcnuy(Tab. century th – 91 6 hcnuy(h ieydt of date likely (the century th ota lhuhteTarbat the although that so , , hcnuy h n-aeof end-date The century. th 37 43 4 1996 hcnuyadthe and century th (Stroud, 1971 .M ikno,‘olrstp G type ‘Fowler’s Dickinson, M. T. ; – ( 1998 41 n w er ae made later years two and sceatt ). ;H Mytum, H. ); nJ li n .Prh(eds.), Pyrah C. and Blair J. in 9 ), hcnuy e ae ilbe will dates New century. th 15 1997 6 – rmteworkshop the from 5 hto th 17 36 hcnuy n encut been and century, th 1 ), . .Ti sepandby explained is This ). 400 h D-shaped The h rgn fEarly of Origins The 8 28 .L Curle, L. C. ; hcenturies th , 41 – 3 9 .Lane A. ; hthe th 8 ´ The th n, Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology o h rcino ls IPcihstones, Pictish context II a Class providing persuasion. of as of seen erection Columban Annals widely the the the been for to has of realignment according churchmen ideological and, himself. documented clerics, expelled his Bede subsequently to by Ulster, which procedures advice new written of the letter the been promulgating a of reply have subject in the receiving might on Christianity, Wearmouth/Jarrow, of practice of Northumbrian Abbot Ceolfrid, consulted Nechtan oefo h ot.Bd eot hti h early the in that reports Bede south. the from come its hrhhv encnieal.Ktle uhshdiiildi initial had Hughes Kathleen considerable. been have church Pictish orshsjsial usindtemnsi hrce fpeNrestsin sites pre-Norse Christopher of and character all monastic at the literature questioned Christian Orkney. justifiably in has engagement Morris Pictish a endorsing its ybl,as etr h rs.Te lofaueeeet fsophisticated of elements feature also They cross. the feature also symbols, Pictish h oatre hr oa ei tl oordo ohsds ..i Pictland in eastern i.e. — and sides’ western both peoples Alban. on Druim both of honoured of among sides still population both ‘founded is Scotland, had he and the who today where Columba, spared monasteries of the had grace the it through Scotland that mentions century) hc aae ag ato h ol i u ie ie h late the (i.e. time’ our ‘in world the of part large a ravaged which li lgblt o nascainwt oub himself. Columba with association an for eligibility claim III. 24 fMicu edro h otenPcs erInverness. near Picts, northern the of leader Mailchu, of nEryhsoi otenSoln,adohrcnrssrl wi rediscovery. await surely Mo-Cholma centres monasticism other Columban (Port literate and Portmahomack a Scotland, accept northern least the Early-historic at about can in a We scepticism view. formed confronted this books. also Iona vindicated he have produce of and to Pictland’ dependencies ability in death church Picts’ Columba’s the of after part years major hundred one than Colma oub ovre h otenPcs‘oteFiho hitb i rahn and preaching his by Christ of Faith the Adomna ‘to example’. Picts northern the converted Columba II. North nB .Cafr (ed.), Crawford E. B. in ucino oeakesPcihMonuments Pictish Rosemarkie’s of Function hrha Rosemarkie at Church uoMeyer, Kuno legacy’, es comm. pers. iiuieptfr fClm,broe rmLt oub’ oli O Nollaig columba’; Lat. from borrowed Columb, of form pet diminutive 38 39 40 41 43 42 46 44 45 32 4 .Clrv n .A .Mnr e.adtrans.), and (ed. Mynors B. A. R. and Colgrave B. LC .Hughes, K. d i.i note in cit. Ed. asn p i.i note in cit. op. Watson, o xml ruat edro,o.ct nnote in cit. op. Henderson, Urquhart: example For .Foster, S. HE uhs p i.i note in cit. op. Hughes, : [hereafter [hereafter II. , nAcaooia Evaluation Archaeological An ,V. h rbeso aiaigteeitneo uhmnseis n vno a of even and monasteries, such of existence the validating of problems The taltrdt,ipratCrsiniflec ol lob xetdt have to expected be also would influence Christian important date, later a At ´ 193 sacmo iiuieo oub n h lc a hrfr also therefore can place the and Columba of diminutive common a is n 46 21 40 – . . it,GesadScots and Gaels Picts, 228 ieo Colma of Life u nhis in But HE LC al hitaiyi Pictland in Christianity Early nCra ore(ed.), Bourke Cormac in 38 ]. GomHueLecture, House (Groam ;RcadSap tas) Adomna (trans.), Sharpe Richard ]; , 33 ctadi akAeBritain Age Dark in Scotland e loJla rw,Iae edro n onHgit p.ct nnote in cit. opp. Higgitt, John and Henderson Isabel Brown, Julian also See . ´ ´ o fLu of Son n osntcama uh u eotn ntegetplague great the on reporting but much, as claim not does n 40 4 , 1995 , 46 15 (Edinburgh, arwLecture, Jarrow ( idem, ; . ´ sa,RcadSap etal osaeta ltl more ‘little that state to able felt Sharpe Richard essay, achan GomHueLecture, House (Groam h itr fteCli lcnmso Scotland of Placenames Celtic the of History The tde nteCl fSitColumba Saint of Cult the in Studies atncarver martin rp.Flnah nd.), Felinfach, (repr. arwLecture, Jarrow ( 1992 41 1996 ´ h otaoakdsoeiswudse to seem would discoveries Portmahomack The g scnetoal h oto omn but Colman, of Port the conventionally is ig) ). S Andrews, (St ), 1989 93 eesEceisia itr fteEgihPeople English the of History Ecclesiastical Bede’s ´ . 2 fIona, of n ;ie,‘rmBra oTnae:aproa view’, personal a Tintagel: to Birsay ‘From idem, ); , 99 39 46 indr ibid., Kinnedar: ; 1970 hc,wiete otnet carry to continue they while which, 1996 1990 44 ieo Columba of Life 109 ;C .Morris, D. C. ); eha paetyratdby reacted apparently Nechtan ). ;A Macdonald, A. ); tetu rgno h aeColma name the of origin true ‘the : (Dublin, ´ 8 hcnuytePcihking Pictish the century th Muraı 106 43 (Harmondsworth, oeake eadem, Rosemarkie: ; ´ 1997 e TeClma onomastic Columban ‘The le, hrhadMnseyi h Far the in Monastery and Church rp.Edinburgh, (repr. 38 Curada ), eecam that claims Bede 195 ´ 7 ,Bnfc n h Early the and Boniface n, ho early or th and (Oxford, 218 1995 ffi 2 .Clancy, T. ; 1993 . ut in culty h r and Art The ,I. ), 45 ´ i]a [is] n 33 ), This 1969 37 8 278 and – th 42 78 ), ; Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology rm suspects. prime itadadi h omto fSoln.Peitrcocpto sti,adit the and until thin, exploited is little northern occupation was in Prehistoric peninsula peninsula, Scotland. the Tarbat of that the be formation on may the role in its and and Pictland monastery the of development usqetypotn rmterpamtcrccig h raigu of while breaking-up icons, of consequence The a di earlier as the seen Christian recycling. However, be towards then reform. that could pragmatic religious settlement violence imagine the early their of burning to and the from and us sculpture passion profiting permits exhibit history subsequently might religious Scottish reformers way. another wr) osecuaeteve htteeioeo etuto curdnae in nearer walls occurred church destruction of the the episode in the to re-used that date those view and the broken) encourage (freshly does (worn), area workshop the in found e,aesi ohv oqee h hl fCihesadalrepr fArgyll, of part the large Thorstein a and Hebrides, late Caithness the the of in from whole Ross the Viking and conquered a Moray have inevitable, and to the Orkney said not are but of Red, obvious, I the Sigurd are Vikings Earl The culprits. church. the of foundations the te cniainpsesosa h a n fteGetGe.In Glen. Great the of to end route the far open the push to at attempted intermittent earls by possessions the followed Dornoch as Scandinavian was area the Orkney other Firth across Moray of Portmahomack the Earldom of on the pressure north-west of due establishment miles The Firth. few a Oykell, River aaduscesul eee h us ooe h iig’nrhes passage. north-east Vikings’ the open to quest the renewed unsuccessfully Harald fadg,prast eietfidhr sMceh ntelate the In Macbeth. as son which here (lit.: identified Ness) Hundason’ be ‘Karl Tarbat to one as perhaps against dog), Mighty (identifiable the a Torfness Thorfinn of at for victory fought in was resulted battle a thereabouts onain fthe of foundations hntesoewscre,adaround and carved, was stone the when otaoakmgtb ae sa niainta tra that indication an as taken be might Portmahomack yteearly the by hseioeo eieaedsrcinms aeocre ewe around between identified, occurred have was stone. must carved burning destruction fractured deliberate freshly simultaneous of of pieces episode and stratigraphically nails This wood, of burnt of lumps layer containing widespread a etoe in mentioned hita cngah n ln-colo idiiilypplri Northumbria the in during art popular Insular initially in kind widespread a becoming of and plant-scroll and iconography Christian ul nTrns nSoln’ ofesi adt aebe ot fteMryFrh(ibid., Firth Moray the of south been have to said is Torfness Scotland’. in Torfness in fuel, ro,teEr’ ot .E Crawford, E. B. poet: Earl’s the Arnor, rnir h itlnsfo h it otetefhcenturies’, twelfth the to ninth the from Firthlands the frontier: a a eetda e o sea at defeated was GomHueLecture, House (Groam Sutherland 47 .O Anderson, O. A. ute rhelgclwr snee ohl nesadtegnssand genesis the understand help to needed is work archaeological Further h atta aypee of pieces many that fact The h n ftePrmhmc oatr sosue vrtewrso area workshop the Over obscure. is monastery Portmahomack the of end The (Edinburgh, al-eivlmnseya otaoak25 portmahomack at monastery early-medieval Orkneyingasaga 9 8 hcnuyta the than century th hcnuy digt h oatr’ ag fcontacts. of range monastery’s the to adding century, th ff al ore fSots itr A.D. History Scottish of Sources Early eresadrue o routed and Deerness 1986 1995 11 ch. , ,a pp. at ), ), th-/ 5 7 – s.a. , 6 . 12 37 9 891 – cniainScotland Scandinavian hcnuycuc (Church church th-century UUERESEARCH FUTURE hcnuy iudfudhsfia etn lc ythe by place resting final his found Sigurd century. th 45 x eadem, ; 894 ff 11 8 ofes ot fMryFrh(otesuho yel codn to according Oykell, of south the (to Firth Moray of south Torfness, H a h rto e ofidhwt u uffo h at for earth the from turf cut to how find to men of first the was ‘He : hcnuysupuewr noprtdit the into incorporated were sculpture th-century h n h iig utcretyrmi the remain currently must Vikings the and th, aladMormaer and Earl ff 1100 rnei erbtentoefragments those between wear in erence 500 (Leicester, – 1286 hnsmlrpee eebitinto built were pieces similar when 33 – (Edinburgh, 46 : 1987 8 os-its eainhp nNrhr Scotland Northern in Relationships Norse-Pictish nJ .Blwn(ed.), Baldwin R. J. in hcnuy The century. th ), 72 ffi 6 2 .Seas ae,‘h aigof making ‘The eadem, also See ). hcnuy fs,i may it so, If century. th ptees os was, coast east the up c a esgicn in significant be may ) 1922 ), 377 12 577 hcnuyEarl century th ia h ufris Turfer the Einar . itlnso osand Ross of Firthlands sceatt .Kr Hundason Karl ). on at found 1035 800 or 47 , Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology a ujc oti rgam o.Drn h omto fAb,auicto of unification a Alba, of formation the During too. programme this to subject was Ireland’, hrhswr enioae yteCe the by reinvigorated were churches 26 t ses uha h ec n t aiiecnrlt,myhv enarayin already been have may centrality, The had hand, maritime day. other leaders its Columba’s the and pre-Christian before On beach use the community. the active incoming which as an in such to assets, land available its was marginal so of and piece interest little a been have then (York, sriiga ohEe oNg a ntesuh h ieypstoso the of Mary positions St of likely chapel The the the by Hilton south. lochs stood least at probably the hill at Survey cross-slab landscape. from in great of the the way Bay in while significant that, by Nigg more suggested passing become to also and Eye) then monuments Bay Loch Inver as in (surviving of beginning more self-evident, becomes peninsula becomes the (Fig. raised, slightly island is sea-level an monastic the If monuments. separate the of as properties, estate. for secular monastic boundary-markers and single These as a Nigg or separate individual. Portmahomack, Hilton, to specific daughter-churches whether as as of a communities, question of functioned the memory of open Shandwick each the and leave that still proclaimed, to infer considerations can being dedicated enticing of we were was indication, use persons similar The monuments a of society. these providing names own inscription Latin their the the of that with attributes suggests were particular symbols they the which Pictish with thinking, Christian interweave by international composed to of were able grasp All profound power. a dominant implies with a carving, people the from mention investment to contemporary not major transportation, from a and brought size stone Their in Portmahomack. quarry. constructed at same apparently the monastery were the monuments to principal sites four these The of relationship economic and social aebe ugse o h igeadIeahpnnua n lehr in elsewhere and peninsulas Iveragh and Dingle the for Ireland. suggested been have encuilt h iesiiilrtoaeaderydvlpet natstrata, Intact (Fig. development. Nigg and Shandwick early Cadboll, area. and workshop the rationale in excavation initial await date, site’s this of the potentially to crucial been oolr sta rvleso h e ol ieieseoeo hm n obe so and them, of one o see an likewise and could place sea landing the a on to travellers guided that is corollary ouet ucinda e,te a hrfr ehl omr u a out mark to held be therefore may they the set, in estate a monastic as single functioned monuments nt h oa it n igtwrsteCoat it (Fig. Firth Cromarty the towards Nigg and promontories Firth Hilton and Moray on Shandwick Firth, the sited Dornoch the to monuments originally to four on the on Portmahomack of doubt each sea: that to no proposed out be thus looked were can cross-slabs It The churches. Nigg their Shandwick. to at adjacent and that like Portmahomack ‘Hilltown’, earlier an at near hill, the on stood 48 49 .O T. hmsCac,‘oa ctadadteCe the and Scotland ‘Iona, Clancy, Thomas 2003 uhwl eedo h al omo h eisl n h eaievisibility relative the and peninsula the of form early the on depend will Much h otx adoiia oain ftemnmna cltr tHlo of Hilton at sculpture monumental the of location) original (and context The ´ 127 Carraga 48 ;Hrt,o.ct nnote in cit. op. Herity, ); – 52 oarmie ciei the in active remained Iona ´ nMri avr(ed.), Carver Martin in n Alnsaecnetd rhelg n al hrhognsto nIeahadDingle, and Iveragh on organisation church early and archaeology converted: landscape ‘A in, 16 12 ,adterueo h otg mle ytenm Tarbat name the by implied portage the of route the and ), hcnuy hnfis erected first when century, th 11 iii. , h rs osNorth Goes Cross The 8 atncarver martin hcnuy cee fti ida h aedate same the at kind this of Schemes century. th ´ iDe li 15 ffi ´ ’, ssillreyukon si h intellectual, the is as unknown, largely still is ) ilrcpin ntesneta h Tarbat the that sense the In reception. cial ´ 6 111 iDe li hand th 9 – hcnuy hnsm fteeastern the of some when century, th 30 : ´ rcse fCneso nNrhr uoe A.D. Europe, Northern in Conversion of Processes , 49 nCafr e.,o.ct nnote in cit. op. (ed.), Crawford in 7 n tmyb htPortmahomack that be may it and hcnuiswl nayeethave event any in will centuries th 300 er ale tmyhave may it earlier years 40 . 16 300 .The ). – 1300 Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology ( its rs-lb fteTra eisl.()Ng ( Nigg (a) peninsula. Tarbat the of cross-slabs Pictish oreyo RCAHMS of courtesy al-eivlmnseya otaoak27 portmahomack at monastery early-medieval ;()Sadik( Shandwick (c) ); ar rv ( Grove Barry ht,Mri Carver Martin photo, oreyo eleMeyer Kellie of courtesy fig . 15 oreyo eleMeyer Kellie of courtesy ;()TeHlo elc ihissculptor, its with replica Hilton The (d) ); ). ;()Hlo fCadboll of Hilton (b) ); Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology 28 lno h abtpnnua hwn h rbbeln ftepraeadteveseso the of viewsheds the and portage the of line probable the showing peninsula, Tarbat the of Plan rnia tn monuments. stone principal atncarver martin fig . 16 oyih nvriyo York of University Copyright . Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology n ope rs-lb ucinda emrsadprast aosif famous a to portals and huge East’. seamarks the the of seas, as ‘Iona surrounding an Europe. — the functioned centre overlooking Early-medieval ecclesiastical cross-slabs ephemeral peninsula from the complex of known and edges the sculpture at monumental Placed impressive most 800 anann h usrt fPcihclueta uvvdi t ybl.By symbols. its in survived that culture Pictish of substrate the maintaining hn httesitcudfidt niln tteopst n fteGetGe to Glen the Great over the developed of portage, end and opposite beach the landing at its next island with estate, an peninsula to This find Iona. could saint the that thing hi egbus hs xeiet ol aecniudutltepolitical the until continued have by could Christianity orthodox the experiments as of recognised unifications These been have neighbours. not may their or may which options, oub’ ot one uighsepdto nthe in expedition his during founded port, Columba’s conformity. etil aebe ao netv oivs namnseyfuddby founded monastery a in invest to Picts. Northern incentive the of heartland major the in a situated but Columba been have certainly eaae rmisiuinlsdvrin fCrsint yln experimental long the by to of Christianity up studies of of be the versions Recent might and missions periods institutionalised Christianity. Christian politics first their from to the that Picts, separated conversion emphasised Northern have their conversion the of of processes of kingdom question elusive the intriguing on light throw territories. h omnte ftenrhes ol dp ait fdi of variety a adopt could redundant: becomes north-east thus the Christianised were of whole communities a as the Picts the whether or when ia gna ol oeit raigapthoko epe ahcharacterised each peoples of patchwork a di creating by co-exist, could agendas gical ups httemnsi omnt nTra esc-xse ihnon- with co-existed Ness Tarbat the in on Golspie community and Burghead monastic at the believers that suppose oni n h nvriyo ok(eateto rhelg) h vlainwas evaluation restoration The (research, Archaeology). project integrated of the of (Department funding York while Trust, Council, of Historic Highland Tarbat by University between funded partnership the a and as out Council carried been has and Trust, Acknowledgements between Scots the and Picts the of houses ruling the rwod(d) p i.i note in cit. op. (ed.), Crawford p i.i note in cit. op. mg n oe nEryMdea rts Archaeology British Medieval Early in Power and Image .E rwod(ed.), Crawford E. B. eertosi toladEse os Paenmsadteerycuc nesenScotland’, eastern in church early the and ‘Place-names Ross: Easter and Atholl in penetrations avr Cneso n oiiso h atr ebado rti:sm rhelgclindicators’, archaeological some Britain: of seaboard eastern the on politics and ‘Conversion Carver, hr?Wyte?Tepltc ferymdea monumentality’, medieval early of politics The then? Why there? acwr oe a ewa io alri hwn,we euses he when showing, is Taylor Simon what be may model patchwork Itouto:nrhr uoen eoit hi future’, their negotiate Europeans northern ‘Introduction: 50 51 f .oml,‘h mrec fthe of emergence ‘The P.Wormald, Cf. .R .Brown, L. R. P. h eisl a h beto asv neteti h omo oeo the of some of form the in investment massive of object the was peninsula the , h abtDsoeyPormewsiiitda h niaino abtHistoric Tarbat of invitation the at initiated was Programme Discovery Tarbat The tpeetw r rbbyette obleeta otaoakwas Portmahomack that believe to entitled probably are we present At te egbuigstsi h oa it raas aetecpct to capacity the have also area Firth Moray the in sites neighbouring Other 250 ff rn id fmnmna netet nteMryFrhae,w can we area, Firth Moray the In investment. monumental of kinds erent er ncoeascainwt ohDlid n otubi,while Northumbria, and Dalriada both with association close in years al-eivlmnseya otaoak29 portmahomack at monastery early-medieval 51 40 , codn oti oe,nihorn oiiswt di with polities neighbouring model, this to According 134 h ieo etr Christendom Western of Rise The . ovrinadCrsint nteNrhSaWorld Sea North the in Christianity and Conversion 9 hcnuyadltrdmne hi eouinit ideological into resolution their demanded later and century th 300 40 , er,ivlignmru ml dooial diverse ideologically small numerous involving years, 103 . enmScottorum Regnum : rup n iest A.D. Diversity and Triumph : sasi ooro oeayCramp Rosemary of Honour in Essays aoiga hegemony?’, Carolingian a : 7 hcnuyadltr h usinof question The later. and century th 3 – 14 1 – nCre e.,o.ct nnote in cit. op. (ed.), Carver in 22 S Andrews, (St nA ageo n .Hmrw(eds.), Hamerow H. and Macgregor A. in kil 6 750 200 nmst eosrt Columban demonstrate to -names hcnuyo h nearest the on century th – 1000 and 1998 50 131 (Oxford, ;ie,‘h ht Why that? ‘Why idem, ); ff 850 rn ideological erent (Oxford, – 60 ff hr would there , nCafr (ed.), Crawford in rn ideolo- erent 1997 2001 ;M .H. O. M. ); 48 93 11 uha Such . – ;idem, ); 110 – a.d 40 in in . Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Medieval Archaeology ihr uhm aeClad oga ct,Dv n ilSot oadadCath and Donald Durham, and Scott, Jane hospitality interest, Jill friendship, Paterson, their and for Jim Dave Portmahomack of support. Shepherd- Scott, Gordon, people the Caroline Douglas to Douglas and to Collard, Urquhart, and and Kate programme; James Durham, and research Richard Watson, volunteers the Foster, many Anthony to to Sally and contributions Barron, Henderson, Derek Jerromes, their Isabel Faith Miller, for and Kellie Ritchie, Suzanne Roy students Heald, Anna Watson, Ruckley, Andy Graham Hummler, Nigel Strachan, Geddes, Woolf, Madeleine Sabina Fred Alex King, Clarke, Clancy, Sarah David Tom Hall, Roe, Hawkes, Annette Jane to Meyer, and Clough, Monica Spall. Cecily and Garner-Lahire Justin by co-directed and York of Trust. Historic Tarbat by managed 30 etewsdsge yHgisGrnr pndb rneCalsin Charles Prince Discovery by Tarbat and opened The Trust Gardner, Gordon. Douglas Higgins Civic Historic and by Ross Tarbat James to designed Easter and owed was Scotland and is Centre of Cadboll Portmahomack Tain of Church at through Hilton Historic the excavate at Trust, to Scotland, Durham evaluation Permission of Jane The Council. Museums Trust. Highland by National Russell The commissioned the and by the was Trust by supported Hunter Research National been Fund. the the Lottery has Scotland, Fund, Heritage York the Development of and Regional Scotland University European Historic Historic the Scotland, Tarbat York, Enterprise, of Cromarty Museums of and University Ross Council, the Highland Trust, to owed is display) and h uhri rtflt i odrcos otelt ilyMnoadtelate the and Munro Finlay late the to co-directors, his to grateful is author Ltd The Specialists Archaeology Field by managed are Portmahomack at excavations The atncarver martin 1999 n is and ,