Archaeology Notes

Event ID 705248

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/705248

NS75NW 15 72341 55555 removed from 7271 5674.

This cross formerly stood in Hamilton Low Parks (at NS 7271 5674) and was moved to its present position in the graveyard of Hamilton Parish Church in 1926. Carved from a slab of local red sandstone, it stands to a height of 2.1m and is dec orated on all four sides. The front bears (from top to bottom) a human figure between two beast-headed humans; a fish; a spiral boss between two panels of geometric carving in the arms of the cross; a panel of interlace in the shaft; and finally, a much weathered four-footed animal. On the rear, there is a squatting human figure above a central boss from which radiate two snake-like bands.

The sides are also decorated: on the right, a beast-headed man and, below the cross-arm, an inverted human figure; on the left, a coiled snake, and, on the shaft, two beast-headed men and an animal with a long jaw. The style of decoration suggests that the cross is rather late, probably dating to the 10th century.

J Stuart 1856; OS 6" map, Lanarkshire, 1st ed. (1864), sheet xi; J R Allen and J Anderson 1903; R B K Stevenson 1961; J B Stevenson 1985

Surveyed at 1:1250 scale.

Visited by OS 4 September 1953.