Catpund facts for kids
Catpund
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 Location in Shetland
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| Location | Shetland |
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| Coordinates | 60°01′35″N 1°14′18″W / 60.026398°N 1.238351°W |
| Type | Quarry |
| History | |
| Periods | Norse |
Catpund is an ancient quarry site located in Shetland, Scotland. For a very long time, people came here to cut special stone called steatite out of the ground. They used this stone to make bowls and other containers. You can still see the marks from where they dug the stone today!
Contents
Where is Catpund Located?
The Catpund quarry is found right next to a small stream, known as a burn, on the main island of Mainland in Shetland.
A Glimpse into Catpund's Past
People have known about the quarrying at Catpund since at least the 1940s. In 1988, archaeologists dug up part of the quarry floor. They found hollows left behind from over one hundred soapstone bowls that had been cut from the rock.
Similar bowls were also found at another famous site called Jarlshof. These bowls from Jarlshof date back to the 12th and 13th centuries AD, during the time when the Norse people lived in Scotland. This suggests that the bowls made at Catpund were also from that same Norse period.
What Can You See at Catpund Today?
If you visit Catpund, you can still see the marks where people chiseled vessels from the rock. These marks are along the bank of the burn. Because the bowls found here are so much like those from Jarlshof, experts believe that the quarrying at Catpund mostly happened during the Norse era.
Discoveries from Catpund
Many pieces of steatite vessels have been found at Catpund. These important archaeological finds are now kept in two places. You can see some of them at the Shetland Museum. Other pieces are displayed at the National Museum of Scotland.
Images for kids
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Quarry workings at Catpund quarry
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Soft grey soapstone veins
