Archaeology Notes

Event ID 673304

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/673304

NM22SE 4.3 2861 2450

(NM 2866 2450) A tiny building, now only a yard or so high partially underlies and projects to the west and just north of the nave of the Medieval abbey church.

It measures 10'5" E-W by 7'5" N-S within the 1'10" thick walls of well-built squared stones. Buttresses or antae project to the west, and a doorway slightly less than 2' wide with square parallel jambs pierces the centre of the west gable. No signs of a window survive. The line of a high pitched roof was formerly visible against the later wall 'just the line and angle that one would expect in an early Celtic oratory, many of which remain intact in Ireland'.

In the centre of the east wall stood the altar with on each side a coffin, 6'9" by 1'8" by 14" deep, formed of slabs of schisty stone. The lids are missing.

To the west of this 'oratory' there extends a 'narthex' or oblong area 13'4" by 10'8" enclosed on three sides by a wall 18" high and 21" thick. To the west of this enclosure, the walls of which may never have been any higher, stands the Cross of St John (NM22SE 4.05).

This is the 'cell' mentioned by Martin as containing the tomb of Columba. Waddell believes, in spite of Adamnan's testimony to the contrary, that this was a stone church built in Columba's lifetime and that the coffin to the south of the altar was his tomb, and that to the north the tomb of St Blathmac, his successor.

Skene apparently considered this to be the main church of the first stone monastery and the coffin on the south side was the receptacle for the shrine in which the 'Matra' was placed for veneration.

M Martin 1695 ; J J Waddell 1941.

'The "shrine" presents numerous problems. It has been rebuilt as a chapel, and below the floor are two graves which have been claimed as those of St Columba and a companion. This is not documented in any way, the graves are not like any other known shrines of the Celtic period and, posing the most difficult problem, they seem never to have been incorporated into a church or chapel as happenned to almost all other known shrines of the period. Perhaps the most one can say now is that the present structure may perpetuate some medieval arrangement which linked the spot to the monastic founder'.

R Reece, undated

An ancient burial ground lies between St John's Cross and the 'oratory'.

A Ritchie and E Ritchie 1934

This building has been restored and is now in use as a small chapel, known as "St Columba's Shrine". No trace of the coffins survives.

Visited by OS (RD) 9 June 1972.