Scotland in Pagan Times; The Iron AgeAnderson, Joseph
History
Scotland in Pagan Times; The Iron Age
Anderson, Joseph
Scotland -- Antiquities
A ball of fine-grained claystone, in the Perth Museum (Fig. 148), which
is said to have been dredged up from the Tay, has its surface divided
into four circular discs which scarcely project beyond the circular
outline of the ball, and impinge upon each other. In one of the discs
the ornament consists of projecting knobs, arranged in rows both ways by
the channels between them crossing each other at right angles. The knobs
rise from a square base, and are rounded at the summits. This is also
the character of the prickly ornament of the hemispheres of the terminal
bulbs of the penannular brooches of silver found at Skaill, to which the
ornament on the disc of this stone ball has a distinct resemblance. The
treatment of the segmental spaces between the discs is also seen in the
example from Freelands, Glasterlaw (Fig. 144), and the simply incised
ornament of the remaining discs occurs on two other balls (Figs. 149,
150), which have each but one of their discs ornamented.
[Illustration: Fig. 149.—Ornamented Stone Ball found at Inverawe (2⅝
inches diameter).]
[Illustration: Fig. 150.—Ornamented Stone Ball found at Loch Lochy (3
inches diameter).]
[Illustration: Fig. 151.—Ornamented Stone Ball found in the Isle of Skye
(2¾ inches in diameter).]
An example from the island of Skye (Fig. 151) has its surface covered
with small hemispherical protuberances. This variety is akin to another
which has the whole surface studded with projections of a pyramidal
form. Two balls of this latter variety (Figs. 152, 153) were found in
one of the chambers of a curious composite structure, or group of
structures, situated close to the shore on the south side of the Bay of
Skaill, in the mainland of Orkney.[70] One of these (Fig. 152) has the
central portion pierced with a hole. The perforation is roughly made,
and considerably wider at its external orifices than in the centre,
where it is less than half an inch in diameter.
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Footnote 70:
This structure, which was explored by Mr. William Watt, consisted of
several sub-rectangular chambers with rounded corners, having small
cell-like constructions opening off them. The chambers were arranged
on both sides of a long winding passage. Their door-ways had checks
for the doors, and bar-holes behind them. The largest chamber was
about 20 feet square. From 6 to 8 feet of the height of the walls
remained. They were dry-built, and converged towards the upper part as
if to form beehive roofs. Hearths of square form, surrounded by
flagstones on edge, were found in the floors. Many implements of stone
and bone were found in the chambers, and a large accumulation of bones
and horns of animals, among which those of the red-deer and the _Bos
primigenius_ were abundant. Among the stone implements were several
polished celts. The collection is preserved at Skaill House.
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