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Old Aberdeen, Don Street, Hillhead
Cross Incised Stone (Early Medieval)
Site Name Old Aberdeen, Don Street, Hillhead
Classification Cross Incised Stone (Early Medieval)
Alternative Name(s) Hillhead Of Seaton
Canmore ID 20182
Site Number NJ90NW 59
NGR NJ 9406 0946
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/20182
- Council Aberdeen, City Of
- Parish Aberdeen
- Former Region Grampian
- Former District City Of Aberdeen
- Former County Aberdeenshire
Old Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, cross-slab
Measurements: H H 0.72m, W 0.45m
Stone type:
Place of discovery: NJ 9406 0946
Present location: in St Machars Cathedral.
Evidence for discovery: first recorded in 1914, when it was built into a boundary wall in Don Street. It was removed and placed outside the east end of King’s College chapel, before being taken to St Machars. Its original findspot suggests that this location within a meander of the River Don was intentional.
Present condition: the slab appears to have been trimmed, but the carving is intact.
Description
On one broad face of this slab an outline cross is carefully and deeply incised. It has small, almost closed, circular armpits and a marked tenon.
Date: seventh century.
References: RCAHMS 2007, fig 7.11
Desk-based information compiled by A Ritchie 2017
NJ90NW 59 9406 0946
(Location cited as NJ 940 094). A rough boulder, incised with a small, hollow-angled cross with a tenoned shaft was built into a boundary wall in Don Street opposite Hillhead farm on the Seaton Estate. It now stands outside the E end of King's College chapel (NJ 939 081). A number of other carved stones from the Cathedral remain built into the boundary wall.
Aberdeen J Notes and Queries 1914; W D Simpson 1943; F Wyness 1966.
Note (30 January 2002)
The cross-incised stone has been moved to St Machar's Cathedral (NJ90NW 9) for safe-keeping.
Information from RCAHMS (IFr), 30 January 2002.
Reference
(Location cited as NJ 9406 0946). This cross-stone is now cemented in place outside the E end of King's College chapel.
NMRS, MS/712/83.