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Iona, Vallum. Detail of vallum.
SC 372946
Description Iona, Vallum. Detail of vallum.
Catalogue Number SC 372946
Category On-line Digital Images
Copy of AG 8881
Scope and Content Monastery on Iona, Argyll and Bute For many years, the exact location of the original monastery, the one founded by St Columba around AD 563, was cause for debate. After several surveys and excavations during the mid 20th century, it was found to be partly underneath the medieval abbey. This view shows a close up of the surviving part of the vallum - the defensive ditch and bank which would have surrounded the early monastic buildings. Best preserved at the NW angle, the defences consisted of a ditch with inner and outer ramparts. It was not until 1772 that features older than the medieval abbey began to be noted. The structures would have been more temporary in nature, as described in Adomnan's 'Life of Columba'. Most of the evidence of these has been destroyed through farming. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/372946
File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap
Attribution: © RCAHMS
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