Old Scatness 2 Description of stone
Event ID 1014809
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Early Medieval Carved Stones Project
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1014809
Old Scatness 2, Shetland, Pictish symbol stone fragment
Measurements: H 0.14m +, W 0.35m +, D 0.02m
Stone type: sandstone
Place of discovery: HU 3898 1065
Present location: Shetland Museum, Lerwick (OSB 2016.43719)
Evidence for discovery: found during excavations in 1995-2006, face down in rubble outside wheelhouse 11.
Present condition: all the edges are broken and the carved surface has flaked severely.
Description
Only a small part of the surface of this fragment survives, just enough to show the incised outline of part of the lower body of a possible salmon, with median line and two gills. The gills indicate that the salmon is facing left. Remains of other incised lines below the salmon suggest that there may have been at least one other symbol on the slab. This is the first possible salmon to be found among Pictish carved stones from the Northern Isles.
Date: seventh century.
References: Fraser 2008, no 198.4; Scott & Ritchie 2009, no 8; Dockrill et al 2010, SF43719, 306-7, 315.
Compiled by A Ritchie 2016
