Scotland in Pagan Times; The Iron AgeAnderson, Joseph
History
Scotland in Pagan Times; The Iron Age
Anderson, Joseph
Scotland -- Antiquities
The collection of relics from this Broch contains a greater number of
objects than has been found in any other, and it is also remarkable as
presenting some varieties of objects which have not been found in any
other. These are—(1) an oblong pebble of sandstone (Fig. 242), with an
incised figure on each of its flatter sides resembling the talismanic
device of the Middle Ages known as Solomon’s seal; (2) the metatarsal
bone of a small ox, bearing on one side the peculiar symbol of the
sculptured monuments resembling a crescent, crossed by a V-shaped rod or
sceptre (as shown in Fig. 243); (3) a small iron bell; and (4) a slab of
sandstone with a cross of Celtic form, a fish, and an Ogham inscription.
[Illustration: Fig. 243.—Metatarsal Bone of Ox (front and back views),
with incised symbols, from Broch of Burrian (actual size).] The bell and
the monumental slab have been already described, and need not be further
alluded to.[92] The stone with the geometric figure of Solomon’s seal
lay within a cist-like construction half filled with red ashes, which
was in a paved floor that overlay the original floor, and was separated
from it by a layer of from 1 to 2 feet of ashes and rubbish. The
cross-bearing slab was found at a point near the side of the Broch,
where the wall was so low that though the slab lay not much above the
floor of the tower it was also not far below the surface of the mound.
It cannot therefore be said of any of these objects that they were
certainly associated with the earlier occupation of the Broch, and as
they differ in character from all the objects usually found in such
structures, their exceptional occurrence here can have no bearing on the
discussion of the general questions of the character and relations of
the group of relics usually found in Brochs.
-----
Footnote 92:
_Scotland in Early Christian Times; The Rhind Lectures_ for 1879, p.
175; and Second Series for 1880, p. 211.
-----
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account