[MR] BBC & History Blog: Pictish Stones Unearthed

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends, Especially Fellow Scots,

Today both the BBC and the History blog are reporting on the discovery of
two carved Pictish stones near Aberlemno in Scotland.

The first stone was discovered during a test pit excavation, and is thought
to have been reused as a paving slab in a later medieval building. A second
stone with additional markings was found adjacent to the first.

The stones are carved with so-called circular "cup markings", and the
larger has a variety of other common, but poorly understood, symbols found
on many carved pictish stones. The newly discovered stones are believed to
date from the 5th or 6th centuries CE. Only about 200 such stones (now 202)
are known.

BBC's story is at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c99jnywwrnlo .

The History Blog's coverage is at
http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/63519 .

Wikipedia has a page discussing the various symbols on Pictish stones at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pictish_stone .

Aberlemno is noted as a major site for such carved stones. The most famous
Aberlemno stone depicts the 685 CE Battle of Dun Nechtain. At this battle
the Picts ambushed and crushed a Northumbrian army, ending Anglo-Saxon
expansion into northern Scotland.

The Battle of Dun Nechtain, including a view of the battle stone, is
discussed at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dun_Nechtain .

Yours Aye,


Lord Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆