A carved Pictish symbol stone has been discovered on the banks of the River Don in Aberdeen. The find was made by fishermen in Dyce when low water levels – after the recent warm and dry weather – partially exposed the stone on the river bank.
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| Credit: HES |
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) said analysis confirmed it was a Pictish symbol stone. It has been removed, and will be permanently housed at a yet to be decided venue.
Kirsty Owen, deputy head of archaeology at HES, said: “We’re very excited by this find, made all the more remarkable by the brief window of opportunity we had to recover the stone before the water levels rose again.”
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| Credit: HES |
Bruce Mann, the local authority archaeologist for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, said: “The exceptional summer has led to river levels being at their lowest for decades, so there was always a chance that something new would be found. However, I certainly didn’t expect a find as stunning as this. Pictish symbol-stones are incredibly rare, and this one, with its apparent connection to the river, adds further to the discussions around their meaning and what they were used for.”
