Scotland in Pagan Times; The Iron AgeAnderson, Joseph
History
Scotland in Pagan Times; The Iron Age
Anderson, Joseph
Scotland -- Antiquities
It has thus been demonstrated that every feature of these two Islay
burials, and every object associated with them, is clearly of Norwegian
type, and of the heathen period of their Viking time—that is, of the
period ranging between the beginning of the eighth and the end of the
tenth centuries—and that the sword of this peculiar form and the
bowl-shaped brooch of this remarkable type are the most characteristic
objects associated with this class of burials.
The next question that presents itself for determination is, What is the
range or area of this type of burial, associated with these types of
objects, in Scotland?
[Illustration:
Fig. 29.—Brooch found at Ballinaby, Islay, in 1788.
One of a pair (4¼ inches in length).
]
On this same estate of Ballinaby, in Islay, a grave was discovered under
a large standing-stone in the year 1788. There is no precise record of
the circumstances beyond the fact that a pair of oval bowl-shaped
brooches (Fig. 29) were found in it. They were presented to the National
Museum, and are thus preserved. They are of the same variety of type as
those previously described, but differing somewhat in the patterns of
their ornamentation. They are 4¼ inches in length, 2⅞ inches in breadth,
and 1¼ inch in height. Their pins were of iron and are gone, but the
hinge and catch remain in both. The central ornament of the upper shell
is a raised boss, cast hollow in the metal, chased on the upper surface,
and pierced with four holes. The channels cut in the bands of unpierced
metal between the patterns of pierced work, and the holes through which
the plaited strands of silver wires had passed, are visible, but the
wires themselves are gone. The holes for the pins that fastened the
studs of coloured paste on the circular spaces at the junction of the
bands are there, but pins and studs are both wanting. The patterns of
the ornamentation are zoomorphic, representing winged, dragon-like
animals placed face to face. The band round the lower part of the under
shell of the brooch is filled with a suggestion of zoomorphic patterns
in panels, and the flange or flat border underneath it is divided into a
series of raised and sunk spaces, produced apparently by a triangular
punch.
[Illustration:
Fig. 30.—Brooch found in a grave near Newton, Islay.
One of a pair (4⅛ inches in length).
]
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