Eswick

Eswick, Nesting, Shetland, portable carved stone disc

Measurements: Diam 45mm, D 21mm

Stone type: steatite

Place of discovery: HU 4882 5380

Present location: Shetland Museum, Lerwick (ARC 2003.290)

Evidence for discovery: found in a redeposited context in 2003 in the soil around a newly built house.

Present condition: some edge damage but most of the carving is in good condition.

Description

This is a relatively small and thick disc. One flat face is firmly incised with a triscele with a central pit and a pit in each of the three terminals. The other side is incised with a double disc and Z-rod, on which one terminal has a clear oval, one disc has a central pit, and the other disc is divided into four unequal wedges, two opposing wedges being infilled with dots. There are traces of an earlier and more lightly incised design beneath the Pictish symbol.

Date: seventh or eighth century.

References: Scott & Ritchie 2009, no 21.

Compiled by A Ritchie 2016

Gletness, Nesting, Shetland, portable carved stone disc

Measurements: Diam 57mm, D 7-12mm

Stone type: steatite

Place of discovery: HU 46 51

Present location: National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh (BG.392)

Evidence for discovery:

Present condition: some edge damage and flakin on the convex surface.

Description

One face of this disc is flat, while the other is slightly convex. The flat face is incised with a group of four linked double-spirals, and there are traces of an incised motif on the convex face.

Date: eighth century.

References: Thomas 1963, fig 3.4; Scott & Ritchie 2009, no 22.

Compiled by A Ritchie 2016

HU45SE 74 4882 5380

A steatite disc, bearing on one face an incised double-disc and Z-rod, and on the other a triskele, was discovered at Eswick. The disc has been assigned by the Treasure Trove Secretariat (TT.26/04) to Lerwick Museum (reg. no.A63-2003).

Information from A Saville (NMS), 15 August 2005.