St Ninian's Isle Description of stone

Event ID 1015226

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Early Medieval Carved Stones Project

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1015226

Early Medieval Carved Stones Project

St Ninian’s Isle 17, Shetland, hogback gravemarker

Measurements: L 1.14m, W 0.14m to 0.26m, H 0.10m to 0.20m

Stone type: steatite

Place of discovery: HU 3685 2090

Present location: Shetland Museum, Lerwick (ARC 67123)

Evidence for discovery: found during excavations in 1957, outside the west wall of the medieval chapel.

Present condition: some wear.

Description

This gravemarker has the classic hogback profile but lacks any tegulation, instead it has a raised flat band along its ridge.

Date: eleventh or twelfth century.

References: Thomas 1973, no 17; Scott & Ritchie 2009, no 126.

Compiled by A Ritchie 2016