Description: Two fragments of a Cruciform Stone of greenish schist. The stone is carved on both sides. One side has a Latin cross with a groove around it. On the other side there are two saltires in a rectangle and a single saltire above. The cross arms above are...
Object: Draughtsman Date: Medieval Description: A bone gaming piece with an incised decoration, probably from a set of Draughts. Origin: Found at Rothesay Castle when the 3rd Marquis of Bute commissioned work to be done in the 19th c.
Object: Knocking Stone Date: Medieval Description: Knocking stones were made out of large boulders or were sometimes cut into bedrock. They were hollowed out in the centre. Their purpose was the pounding of grain or roots using a rounded stone or a wooden mell. Husks...
Object: Crucible Date: Early medieval Description: A small clay crucible used for metal working, perhaps for casting bronze brooches. The crucible is complete and dates from about the 9th century AD Origin: It was one of the objects found at St Blane's Church when the...
Object: Rothesay Stone Date: Early Medieval Description: A slab of sandstone which is carved on the front with a cross which merges into a key pattern at the bottom. The carving is much worn and damaged but careful examination shows beasts heads, a figure holding a...
Object: Silver Ring Date: Medieval Description: A medieval silver finger ring dating from about 1300 AD. It is inscribed with the letters A G L A interspersed with crosses. The letters stand for Atha Gebri Leilan Adonai which is the Latinised version of a Hebrew...
Object: Jug Date: Medieval Description: A green glazed pottery jug used at Rothesay Castle. The jug would have been used for water or ‘small ale’. It was not safe to drink water in medieval times so small ale was brewed (mainly by women) as a safe alternative....
Object: MacAlister Stone Date: Early Medieval Description: The stone has been the shaft of free-standing cross. Two sockets at the sides are where the lower ring-quadrants were fitted and the tenon at the top was for a transom. On one side, the lowest part of the...