Print

MHG38857 - Carved stone, fragment of a grave marker, Rosemarkie No. 16 - Rosemarkie Church graveyard

Summary

Part of an incised small ringed cross that was probably used as a grave marker. Carved on a finely dressed face is the quadrant of the cross and part of the shaft. Discovered in the churchyard in 2004.

Type and Period (2)

Protected Status

Full Description

A new piece of early carved stone was found in the graveyard by Mr Blackie following the digging of a grave on 15/10/2004. Mr Blackie has retained the stone and will report it for TT - HAW 10/2004.

GR given to grave location by Mr Blackie. Found while opening family plot. - HAW 03/2005

The stone was discovered after a grave had been dug and had been extracted by the gravediggers and was being used to weigh down a corner of a tarpaulin beside the grave. All sides of the fragment were evenly worn with no signs of any damage resulting from its extraction. The stone is now in the care of Groam House Museum. <1>

Rosemarkie 16, Ross & Cromarty, cross-slab fragment
Measurements: H 0.30m, W 0.23m, D 0.08m
Stone type: sandstone
Place of discovery: NH 7372 5763
Present location: Groam House Museum, Rosemarkie (ROMGH.2005.18)
Evidence for discovery: found in the churchyard at Rosemarkie in 2004.
Present condition: broken and worn.
Description:
This finely dressed fragment comes from the right-hand part of a cross-slab and is incised with a plain ringed outline cross.
Date: eighth or ninth century.
References: DES 2007, 122-3; Seright& Henderson 2013, 13.
Early Medieval Carved Stones Project, A Ritchie 2017. <2>

A fragment recovered while observing the re-opening of a grave in the churchyard in 2004. Carved on a finely dressed face is a quadrant of an incised ringed cross with the connecting ring and part of the shaft and one of the cross arms.There is no marginal moulding to the slab. Although the complete slab was only 35cm wide, similarly sized and inscribed stones are common on Iona and elsewhere. The quality of design and execution fits into the repertoire of the exceptionally fine cross-marked funerary sculpture being found in Rosemarkie in the early Christian period. <3>

Note; NGR adjusted based on 2015 aerial photographs to indicate actual find spot. (T.Blackie 16/2/2021) <4>

Sources/Archives (5)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NH 7372 5761 (4m by 4m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NH75NW
Geographical Area	ROSS AND CROMARTY
Civil Parish	ROSEMARKIE

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Investigations/Events (0)

External Links (1)