NEWSLETTER 45 WINTER 2007 PAS Winter Programme 2007–08 PAS conference, Perth at Pictavia near Brechin The AK Bell Library in Perth was once more 14 December the venue for our conference on 6 October. An Evening of Words and Music The programme began with Jennifer Webster, whose talk was entitled ‘St Vigeans: Stones and This will be similar to an extra event we slotted Stories’. Jennifer works with Historic Scotland. in two years ago which members thought was a Currently, Historic Scotland is extending and good idea to repeat. We have some entertainers refurbishing the museum at St Vigeans. The lined up, including a local, young clarsach intention is to create a fitting home for the major player, so you will not have to do a party piece. collection of Pictish carved stones associated However, if you wish to join in, you will be very with the early Christian site here. At the moment, welcome to bring along your instruments or the stones have been removed to Historic stories. Refreshments will be provided. Scotland’s conservation labs at Saughton, where As normal for our events, non-members are also they will be closely studied as well as prepared welcome. JM for redisplay. Jennifer is currently working on 18 January plans for the new museum, including the Emma Sanderson displays and the information to be made Pictish Perceptions available. She has promised to keep us informed 15 February of progress, and the first of her articles appears Ian Shepherd in this newsletter. Rhynie Man Reviewed: Saint or The next talk was by Kelly Kilpatrick, on Sacral King ‘Symbol Commissioners in Stone: semiotic 14 March theory and the origins of Pictish symbol stones.’ John Sherriff Kelly briefly outlined the aspects of semiotic Searching for the Picts: possible theory that she has been using to examine Pictish avenues of research stones, and compared them with the carved and Meetings are on Friday evenings. Doors open at 7.00 painted stones of Gotland and runes stones from and lectures begin at 7.30. Tea and coffee are elsewhere in Scandinavia. Her work so far leads available before and after, at a nominal charge. Talks to the suggestion that aristocratic commissioners and questions normally finish around 8.30, with an may have procured the setting up of symbol opportunity for a more informal session afterwards. stones in order to commemorate people or events. Again, we hope that Kelly will write Winter excursion more on the subject as the work progresses. Steve Driscoll, Professor of Archaeology at In the bleak mid-winter the weather in Pictland Glasgow and Research Director of GUARD can be a bit cruel, so we are planning an indoor (Glasgow University Archaeological Research ‘field-trip’ to see the Pictish stones housed in Division) returned to earlier interests with the the National Museum of Scotland, Chambers setting up of ‘The Strathearn Environs and Royal Street, Edinburgh. If you are interested in joining Forteviot Project.’ The somewhat cumbersome this group on the afternoon of Sunday 13 January title gives the acronym ‘Serf’ and among the 2008, please contact events organiser Eileen splendid artefacts of the Royal Forteviot period Brownlie: <[email protected]> is the Dupplin Cross, now housed at St Serf’s or telephone: 07818 273 775 church in Dunning. The report on the first season’s work revealed how broad a scale is PAS annual subscription encompassed by this ambitious project, which Those who have not yet paid their current sub- will continue to involve local volunteers and scription will receive a renewal form with this train archaeology students in work on a range mailing. Please keep up to date with payments. of sites within the Strathearn area covering a long time range of periods from Neolithic to 1 nineteenth century. Around Forteviot itself, Ross Murray Culduthel: Excavation of a geophysical survey and test pitting in search of high status Iron Age settlement (19 October) the Pictish period royal site have begun. Promising areas for excavation in future seasons have been identified; to date a large post-marked Neolithic enclosure has been revealed. Work has begun on the hillfort at Jackschairs Wood, from which dating evidence should be available. Lunch was followed by the launch of Alastair Mack’s new book, ‘Symbols and Pictures: The Pictish Legacy in Stone’ (see elsewhere in this newsletter for a review). Sheila Hainey then addressed the problem of ‘Early Picts, Early Symbols’, questioning just who were the © Joy Mowatt Roman’s Picts, and whether or not they were already using symbols, and what was the Sheila Hainey, PAS Secretary, flanked by Ross Murray (l) and George Geddes relationship of these Picts to those of our present concepts, defined by place names, symbols Culduthel is to the south-west of the rapidly stones and archaeological markers such as the expanding city of Inverness. The multi-period Pictish graves. site excavated by Headland Archaeology is Alex Woolf rounded off the day by asking the located on a terrace overlooking the city and with question ‘Who carved Pictish Sculpture and for views north across the end of the Great Glen. Whom?’ The Picts had no towns or cities; there Originally, in advance of housing development, is little evidence for the sort of social the Headland team set out to investigate a organisation that would support the existence of palisaded enclosure, visible on aerial many craftsmen supplying a wide market. photographs. The enclosure was fairly well However, the spread of monastic Christianity preserved, although little in the way of internal did bring into being the sort of communities features had survived. Fortunately, the which not only had resources to allow for the archaeologists were retained to observe the support of specialists, but created a demand for removal of topsoil across more of the site. To the production of works of art such as the the north-west of the enclosure, they discovered sculptured stones. The church in the north traces of metalworking and several large nurtured craftsmen trained to create objects of buildings. A concentrated programme of great beauty; the evidence of the importance of developer-funded excavation followed over the sculptors in this endeavour is clear at places such next nine months. as St Vigeans, Meigle and Portmahomack among Ross managed to convey something of the rising others. Lay patronage may have assisted in the excitement of his team as they dug through the support of such craftsmen, but the church was onset of a Highland winter. Remains of at least the major player. seventeen buildings were uncovered; some Thanks to all our speakers, to David Henry and overlapping and others possibly in simultaneous John Borland who ably chaired the two sessions, use. A number of features make the Iron Age and to all involved in the organisation of another phase at Culduthel very special in the annals of successful conference. northern archaeology. The site has abundant Sheila Hainey evidence for all stages for the processes involved in iron-working from ‘ore to artefact’. Eight furnaces were uncovered, some clearly within Pictavia lectures roundhouse structures that appear to have been The winter 2007–08 season got off to a brilliant given over to the manufacturing process. start with a very good attendance of members The quality and range of evidence for the and non-members alike and with our new processes followed here are so far unparalleled National Lottery-funded projection equipment at mainland sites in Scotland. In addition, in operation for the first time. evidence for working of copper alloys was also 2 obtained. Glass working was also carried on at in Discovery and Excavation in Scotland, the site, with evidence for the production of Volume 7 (2006), and in issue 212 of Current beads and enamel for decorating metalwork. A Archaeology. Also check on the web at fine cruciform harness mount in copper alloy, <www.hi-arts.co.uk/culduthel-ironworks- together with a bow-and-fantail brooch, suggest site-tube.html> that some of the activity in this area dates to Sheila Hainey 1st–3rd centuries AD. Radiocarbon dates from some of the material recovered from the site may Irene Hughson The Stones of Govan yet extend this range. (16 November) If the wealth of industrial evidence did not provide excitement enough, two of the roundhouses were very large (18 and 19.5m in diameter). Internal rings of massive posts supported the roofs, while the outer edges were marked by ring-grooves that once held timber walling. In one, a broad ring-ditch, up to four metres wide, close inside the outer wall, held evidence for collapsed dry stone walling and wooden flooring. It is possible that this structure also contained an upper floor. It was certainly © Joy Mowatt modified over its use, finally being given an elaborate façade. Irene Hughson with PAS President Norman Atkinson Culduthel has provided a wealth of material Another sizeable audience attended the present- which will require a period of intense ation by Irene Hughson which tied in with Anna examination and analyses before we can learn Ritchie’s booklet ‘Govan and its Carved Stones’ all it has to tell us about those who worked here which you received with the last newsletter. and occupied the massive buildings of its Iron Irene’s style of delivering her talk before Age period. Discovery of the site generates a showing her illustrations was very well received. further series of questions: how rare was the She got the audience’s attention right from the industrial complex at Culduthel in contemporary start and a few attendees were obviously very terms? Given that there was no indication of the familiar with her subject as heads nodded in existence of such a site before Ross’s team made agreement with her comments.