Accessibility

Font Size

100% 150% 200%

Background Colour

Default Contrast
Close Reset

St Ninians Isle Description of stone

Event ID 1015191

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Early Medieval Carved Stones Project

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1015191

St Ninian’s Isle 3, Shetland, shrine post

Measurements: H 0.84m, W 0.21m, D 0.14m

Stone type: sandstone

Place of discovery: HU 3685 2090

Present location: Shetland Museum, Lerwick (ARC 6686)

Evidence for discovery: found during excavation in 1957, in a secondary context set upright in the north-east corner of the rectangular structure dubbed the ‘Founder’s Tomb’.

Present condition: worn.

Description

The upper part of this post is dressed while the basal portion has been left rough. It has two decorated faces, A and E, and three grooved faces. The grooves are 0.37m to 0.52m long. Face A has a plain flatband border formed by a pecked line, within which are seven hollows: a group of four hollows above a group of three smaller hollows. The top, face E, has a circular boss, 0.13m in diameter, carved in relief with a triple spiral.

Date: eighth or ninth centuries.

References: Thomas 1973, no 2; Scott & Ritchie 2009, no 32.

Compiled by A Ritchie 2016

People and Organisations

References