Abstract
The date of unique symbolic carvings, from various contexts across north and east Scotland, has been debated for over a century. Excavations at key sites and direct dating of engraved bone artefacts have allowed for a more precise chronology, extending from the third/fourth centuries AD, broadly contemporaneous with other non-vernacular scripts developed beyond the frontiers of the Roman Empire, to the ninth century AD. These symbols were probably an elaborate, non-alphabetic writing system, a Pictish response to broader European changes in power and identity during the transition from the Roman Empire to the early medieval period.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1329-1348 |
Number of pages | 20 |
Journal | Antiquity |
Volume | 92 |
Issue number | 365 |
Early online date | 26 Oct 2018 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Oct 2018 |
Keywords
- Scotland
- Pictish
- symbolism
- carving
- language
- writing
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Profiles
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Gordon Noble
- School of Geosciences, Archaeology - Personal Chair
- Archaeology (Research Theme)
Person: Academic