ECR Case Study: The Early Christian cross-marked stones of the west coast of Scotland

Alla Kurzenkova, University of Glasgow

Introduction  

I am currently an Affiliate Researcher of the Department of Archaeology, School of Humanities, University of Glasgow under the British Academy’s Researchers-at-Risk scheme. 

My previous research in Ukraine was focused on the Scandinavian runic monuments in mediating landscape and memory. Thanks to my academic mentors, Prof Katherine Forsyth and Dr Stephen Harrison, the University of Glasgow has become the ideal place to conduct new, interdisciplinary research on the early Christian cross-marked stones that were erected on the west coast of Scotland. 

Although I am tempted to, I do not consider the site at which stones were erected to represent clear evidence of ecclesiastical activity in the absence of other evidence. Therefore, the best way forward would be to consider early medieval archaeological evidence, geographical location, and place-names together with the erected stones and their cross-types in the frames of thinking about the early ecclesiastical sites.

The research is mainly restricted to the west coast of Scotland. The Outer Hebrides and the Inner Hebrides are under discussion because they have very different sets of early Christian cross-marked stones. A total of 138 stones and 23 sites have been identified (RCAHMS 1980; RCAHMS 1982; RCAHMS 1984). 

Key Questions & Methodological Approach 

The study brings up to date the review of a wide range of questions:  

• What kinds of sites were early Christian slabs erected at?  
• What is the evidence for early ecclesiastical activity at these sites?  
• How will I date the stones that have been investigated? 

I decided that the creation of a comparative database allows for a general comparison between different features of monuments. This comparison of stones, when mapped and considered with other aspects of these sites, for example, archaeological evidence graphically points to sites with possible early ecclesiastical activity and sites that hadn’t any known early ecclesiastical associations (other than the stones themselves). In each stage, investigating the stones involves linking the database of information to maps. 

Archaeological Evidence 

I decided to discuss archaeological evidence that can be considered as strong or possible material evidence for an early church site. A certain methodological guide for the development of this idea has become the work of Ann Elizabeth Hamlin (Hamlin 2008). Following Hamlin’s approach, I compiled maps of the archeological material for sites on the west coast of Scotland. The map below seeks to illustrate the concentration of material evidence that gives an impression of the early ecclesiastical or non-ecclesiastical activity. 

Enclosures (Cill Chaitriona, Laggan, Sgor nam Ban-Naomha) and strong Columban connections (Kirkapoll, Abbey, Nunnery, The Reilig Odhraín Cemetery, St Oran’s Chapel, Area of St Columba’s Shrine) had been an important feature of early ecclesiastical sites. A deeply engrained veneration of water and good water supply has been considered one of the principal factors in the choice of early ecclesiastical sites (Hamlin 2008, 159). Certain connections to this could have a hollowed field-boulder from Cill Chaitriona, the Isle of Colonsay (Fisher 2001, 136), and a water drainage system from Sgor nam Ban-Naomha, the Isle of Canna (Fisher 2001, 101). These surviving remains could be interpreted in light of the nature of the early ecclesiastical use of the site. 

Nonetheless, there is a significant number of sites that have no known early ecclesiastical associations. There is a lack of any early archaeological objects from Calgary Bay, the Isle of Mull (RCAHMS 1980, 126), Tusdale, the Isle of Skye (Fisher 2001, 104); Hougharry, the Island of North Uist (Fisher 2001, 109), A’ Chill, the Isle of Canna (Fisher 2001, 100-01) or the remains of a chapel whose history nothing is known from Gleann Na Gaoidh, the Isle of Islay (Fisher 2001, 137) with the exception of other than the stones themselves. For that reason, I suggest that stones without archaeological evidence or early place-name element, unsatisfactory pointers to early ecclesiastical activity, doubtfully may mark a lost church. 

Forms of Crosses and Dating 

The next step was the review of forms of crosses (I: a-b; II: a-i; III: a-j; IV: a-q; V: a-h; VI: a-e; VII: a-f; VIII: a-b; IX; X) are widely distributed throughout the islands outlining the feature of each of them.

One of the main tasks is the full consideration of the dating evidence for the stones. This involved turning to the corpus of early medieval stones in Wales (Edwards 2007), Orkney (Scott and Ritchie 2014), or Ireland to look for certain analogies, taking into account Ó Floinn’s (1995) three-group typology of inscribed cross slabs at Clonmacnoise which might be relevant here too. 

The map below shows the gradual distribution of stones, according to the shape of the crosses, which managed to find significant parallels on stones from other regions, in particular Wales, Ireland, or the Orkney Islands. The colour reflects strong, some or no material evidence of the early ecclesiastical associations (refer to the map keys for more details).  

The slabs from the Isle of Muck, A’chill (Fisher 2001: 92) the Isle of Skye, Raasay House (Fisher 2001, 103) Isle Canna, A’ Chill (Fisher 2001, 100-101) bears cross-of-arcs very similar in design to some from Orkney: St Boniface Church, Papa Westray (Scott and Ritchie 2014, 187) or from Wales: Maen Colman (Edwards 2007, 301-302), and it is surmounted by crosses-of-arcs, sometimes with a chi-rho hook or enclosed in a circle, would seem to span the period from the latest 6^th century to the end of the 8^th century AD. It is interesting that monuments from Orkney with crosses-of-arcs, as well as from Wales or the West Coast of Scotland are erected mainly with easy access to the sea. Moreover, each of them has a triangular rounded shape on the top. 

Among stones from the Isle of Barra, Cille-bharra (Fisher 2001, 107), the Isle of Canna and A’ Chill (Fisher 2001, 100-101) that carry a sunken Latin cross, executed with a deep U-section groove or with forked terminals similar in design to some from Wales, Nevern 5 (Edwards 2007, 401-402), Llanwnda (Edwards 2007, 360). It is interesting that the size of the cross is from 0.26 m to 0.31 m and its noticeable increase is registered on the rough pillar and would seem to cover the period from the 7^th to 9^th centuries. 

Depictions of an equal-armed cross with round terminals from the Isle of Mull, Cill Fhionntain (RCAHMS 1980, 149-150), the Isle of Canna, A’ Chill (Fisher 2001: 100-01) correlates with the linear equal-arm form cross from Wales Llanfihangel-y-Creuddyn (Edwards 2007, 163-164) and Nevern (Edwards 2007, 406-407), according to this a 7^th to 9^th century date seems most likely for them. 

Raghnall Ó Floinn’s type C typology of a ringed Latin cross with rectangular expansions at the center and at the terminals is relevant to cross-slabs that came from the Isle of Islay, Gleann Na Gaoidhn (RCAHMS 1984a, 183), Iona (RCAHMS 1982, 184-187), Islay, Laggan (Fisher 2001, 139). According to the typology, these forms of crosses are considered to be from the middle 8^th to 10^th centuries and the slabs are roughly rectangular dressed and usually average about a meter or more (Floinn 1995, 255).  

The other pillars from the Isle of Barra, Pabbay (Fisher 2001: 106), the Isle of Mull, and Calgary Bay (RCAHMS 1980, 126) with a sunken Latin cross are similar to one stone from Wales (Edwards 2007, 271-274) would seem to date later than the 9^th century. There are several parallels for the monument from the Isle of Skye, Tusdale (Fisher, 2001, 104) which probably fulfilled a similar outline ringed Latin cross from Stone Marloes (Edwards 2007: 380, no P 59) and another stone (Edwards 2007, 439). The cross type is common in both regions and is thought might be dated 9^th-10^th centuries. 

An outline Latin cross with a circle, around the junction the Isle of Islay, Gleann Na Gaoidhn ((RCAHMS 1984a, 183) finds parallels with a similar form of the cross on a stone from Wales (Edwards 2013, 358) furthermore the long, narrow shaft is a feature of cross-carved stones with similar ring-crosses in both Western Scotland and Wales and might be dated 9^th to 11^th centuries. The stone from the Isle of Colonsay, Cill Chaitriona (Fisher 2001, 136) has irregular interlaces of broad bands and in the cross-head four holes carved on both sides, this the cross-type have been identified on the Nevern 4 (Edwards 2007, 400-401).  The second half of the 10^th or early 11^th centuries was suggested. The statement of roughly dated cross-types might be admittedly helpful for considering it as an indication of the significance of the sites. 

Initial Conclusions 

In light of these findings, the stones themselves are not reliable pointers to early ecclesiastical activity through the lack of archaeological evidence therefore should be treated with caution. The research emphasizes that a typological development for erect pillars from rough, unshaped stones to more carefully dressed may presuppose an earlier dating of cross-types, nevertheless, late-dated forms of crosses were indicated on fairly rough cross-carved pillars too that could co-exist with carefully carved slabs. 

The further aim is to build up a picture using the dateable material of the cross-types or place-names (Gaelic/Norse ‘old’) of stone assemblages that clarify what sites could be really important.  

Acknowledgements 

I am grateful to Prof Katherine Forsyth and Dr Stephen Harrison for helping me to gain new skills, as well as expanding my research into a new context. Our important discussions have contributed immensely to me gaining familiarity and confidence with the new methodological approaches. 

Bibliography 

Canmore no date National Record of the Historic Environment. Available at: https://canmore.org.uk/ 

Edwards, N 2007 A corpus of early medieval inscribed stones and stone sculpture in Wales. Vol. II, South-West Wales. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. 

Edwards, N 2013 A corpus of early medieval inscribed stones and stone sculpture in Wales. Vol. III, South-West Wales. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. 

Fisher, I 2001 Early Medieval Sculpture in the West Highlands and Islands. Edinburgh: Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland.  

Forsyth, K and Maldonado, A 2012 Report on Early Medieval carved stones from Iona in the care of Historic Scotland, March 2012. Edinburgh: Historic Scotland.  

Hamlin, A E 2008 The archaeology of early Christianity in the North of Ireland. Oxford: Archaeopress.  

Ó Floinn, R 1995 ‘Clonmacnoise: Art and Patronage in the Early Medieval Period, in Bourke, C (ed), From the Isles of the North: Early Medieval Art in Ireland and Britain Belfast, Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, 251-260. 

RCAHMS 1980 The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Argyll: an inventory of the monuments volume 3: Mull, Tiree, Coll and Northern Argyll (excluding the early medieval and later monuments of Iona), Edinburgh, Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. 

RCAHMS 1982 Argyll: An Inventory of the Monuments 4: Iona. Edinburgh, Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. 

RCAHMS 1984 Argyll: an inventory of the monuments volume 5: Islay, Jura, Colonsay and Oronsay. Edinburgh, Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. 

Ritchie, A 1997 Iona. Edinburgh: Historic Scotland. 

Scott, I G and Ritchie, A 2014 ‘Pictish symbol stones and early cross-slabs from Orkney’, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 144, 169-204. 

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