Sumburgh Airport
Pictish Symbol Stone (Pictish)
Site Name Sumburgh Airport
Classification Pictish Symbol Stone (Pictish)
Canmore ID 272943
Site Number HU31SE 21.02
NGR HU 3898 1065
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/272943
- Council Shetland Islands
- Parish Dunrossness
- Former Region Shetland Islands Area
- Former District Shetland
- Former County Shetland
Old Scatness 4, Shetland, portable Pictish symbol pebble
Measurements: H 50mm, W 95mm, D 15mm
Stone type: siltstone pebble
Place of discovery: HU 3898 1065
Present location: Shetland Museum, Lerwick (OSB 2016.9101)
Evidence for discovery: found during excavations in 1998 in a context associated with structure 5.
Present condition: heavily worn and scratched.
Description
This small pebble is heavily incised on both broad faces with an arch and V-rod symbol on one face and on the other a possible boat with a curved rudder.
Date: seventh century.
References: Fraser 2008, no 198.3; Scott & Ritchie 2009, no 11; Dockrill et al 2010, SF9101, 309-11, 315.
Compiled by A Ritchie 2016
HU31SE 21.02 3898 1065
In the course of the 1998 excavation of the later 'Pictish' multi-cellular building a small pebble carved on one face with an abstract geometric design and on the other with a crude rendering of a Pictish 'crescent and V-rod' symbol was found in the material surrounding the wall top and provisionally interpreted as the remains of a turf bank.
Sponsors: Historic Scotland, BP Exploration Operating Company Ltd, EC Objective 1, Robert Kiln Trust, Scottish Hydro-Electric plc, SNH, Shetland Amenity Trust, Shetland Enterprise Company, Shetland Islands Council, University of Bradford.
S J Dockrill, V E Turner and J M Bond 1998