Hilton of Cadboll Stone facts for kids
The Hilton of Cadboll Stone is a famous Pictish stone found in Hilton of Cadboll, a village on the east coast of Scotland. It is one of the most amazing cross-slabs made by the ancient Picts. This stone has two main sides. One side, which faced the sea, shows a Christian cross. The other side, which faced the land, shows scenes from everyday life.
These everyday scenes are carved below special Pictish symbols. You can see a crescent shape with a v-rod, and a double disc with a Z-rod. Below these symbols, there's a hunting scene. It even shows a woman riding a horse sideways, wearing a large pin called a penannular brooch. Experts believe this stone was made around the year 800 AD.
Contents
The Stone's Journey Through Time
The Hilton of Cadboll Stone wasn't always in the same place. It was first found near a small chapel, just north of the village. In the 1800s, it was moved to Invergordon Castle. Later, it was given to the British Museum in London.
However, many people in Scotland were not happy about this move. They felt the stone should stay in Scotland. So, it was moved again to the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, where it is today. A detailed copy of the stone, made by an artist named Barry Grove, was placed back at the original site in Hilton of Cadboll.
Uncovering Hidden Pieces
In 1998, archaeologists from Kirkdale Archaeology started digging near where the stone was first found. They discovered about 40 small pieces of carved stone. They thought these pieces likely belonged to the Hilton of Cadboll Stone.
Then, in 2001, more digging happened. This time, archaeologists found many more carved pieces – over 700 of them! They also found the missing bottom part of the cross-slab. This was a very exciting discovery!
The Stone's Lower Half
Later in 2001, the lower part of the cross-slab was carefully dug up by a team from Glasgow University Archaeological Research Division (GUARD). Thousands more small carved pieces were found too. There was some discussion about where this important part of the stone should be kept. In the end, it was put on display in the Hilton of Cadboll village hall. It did not join the top part of the stone at the Museum of Scotland.
During this time, a professor named Sian Jones from the University of Manchester studied how important old sculptures like this stone are to local communities. She looked at how the Hilton of Cadboll Stone had been broken and moved over time. She also explored how the stone helps people understand their history and local identity today.
Ancient Burials and Soil Clues
During the excavations, archaeologists also found six ancient burials. This suggests that the stone might have been used to mark a cemetery. Only one skeleton was fully dug up and studied. The other burials were left untouched.
The burials contained different types of pottery and some stones with a strange glaze. Scientists took small bone samples from one skeleton to find out its age using radiocarbon dating. After testing, the bones were returned to the site.
Archaeologists also collected ten soil samples. These samples contained charcoal and other clues about the environment long ago. Scientists used a method called optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating to find out how old the soil layers were. They found five different layers of soil, dating from the 800s AD all the way to the present day. These layers help tell the story of the site over many centuries.
