Fortingall cross stones

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Church and yew tree
The yew tree

The cross-stones Fortingall are now in the church (Fortingall Parish Church) and in the cemetery of Fortingall in Perthshire in Scotland . There are plates with incised crosses ( cross slabs ) and a cup stone . The Fortingall Yew , one probably well over 2000 years old yew tree in the cemetery is definitely older than the church, and could be as old as the nearby stone circles of Fortingall . During the ivy clearance from the cemetery wall of Fortingall Parish Church, three previously unknown early medieval stone sculptures (No. 9 to 11) made of slate were uncovered.

Cross stones

Fortingall No. 9 is a cross plate with three deeply sunk Greek crosses found in 2004 by J. Borland on the south wall of the cemetery, broken in three parts. It is 1.76 m high, 29 to 35 cm wide and three centimeters thick. A peg appears to be depicted on the extreme right cross, which indicates that the plate is aligned lengthways so that the cross in question is the topmost of the plate. Several representations of tenons on cross plates are known.

Fortingall No. 10 is a broken cross plate with three deeply indented Greek crosses found lying in 2004 by N. Robertson and J. Borland. The stone is 1.57 m high, 64 cm wide and nine centimeters thick. Triple crosses can be found multiple times on Scottish plates and other mediums in island art.

Fortingall No. 11 is a trimmed stone with an incised Latin cross found in 2004 by Mark Hall on the south wall of the cemetery. The square fragment of 44 × 51 cm was inserted into the wall as one of the top stones. In the middle of the plate there is an incised cross with a shaft measuring 15 × 6 cm at a slight angle. Probably the stone was originally a lying gravestone.

Fortingall No. 12 is a cross slab found in 2005 by N. Robertson in the cemetery with an incised Greek cross.

Menhir

The menhir in the cemetery was found in 1903 in the private part of the cemetery belonging to Donald Currie , the owner of the Glenlyon Estate , a few meters from the trunk of the yew tree. The stone was placed near the west wall of the burial ground, about 25 meters from where it was found. The initially with nine bowl ( English cups ) on top labeled stone of 0.9 x 0.5 m was broken, so that only the halves of two bowls are left.

The Northern Antiquarian (TNA) also has a page with a stone marked with a cup that can be found in the churchyard under the yew trees - see their entry for Fortingall Churchyard in Perthshire which, along with photographs, provides instructions on how to locate this stone as well contains a sketch including a short text on archeology and history.

Pictish stones

The fragments of Pictish cross plates discovered in 1901 when the old church was demolished were installed in the choir in 2002 . Remains of at least three stones from around 800 AD have been found in the old church. The stones do not contain Pictish symbols, but are decorated with key patterns and Triquetra knots. On the back of a stone there are parts of robed figures that may be ecclesiastical and associated with an early monastery. The stone behind the pulpit consists of three equal-armed crosses connected to one another. It is a rare form - the only similar plate is in St Andrews Cathedral .

Clach a 'Phlaigh

The Clach a 'Phlaigh (also called Carn na Marbh or Plague Stone) south of Fortingall is a stone that marks the mound under which victims of the 14th century Plague were buried. As such, it is likely not old, or at least removed from its original position.

St Adamnan's Cross

On either side of St Adamnan's Cross in Glen Lyon in Camusvrachen, west of Fortingall, are carved Christian crosses, of which this is most evident on the north side. The small plate-like stone stands on a natural hill by the road. With a height of 1.2 m and a width of 0.5 m, the thickness varies between 0.4 m at the base and 0.15 m at the top.

literature

  • Anna Ritchie, Graham Ritchie: Scotland. Archeology and Early History. Thames and Hudson Ltd., London 1981, ISBN 0-500-02100-7 , ( Ancient places and people 99).

Web links

Coordinates: 56 ° 35 '53.5 "  N , 4 ° 3' 1.8"  W.