Provenance
Discovery: Discovered in 1996 during the excavation of a large multi-period settlement site led by Niall Sharples (Forsyth 2007, 461). The ogham-inscribed plaque was found in an unstratified context, along with ‘other midden material’ including bone, pot, and slag (Forsyth 2007, 462).
Findspot: South Uist, Inverness-shire, Scotland (National Grid Reference: NF 729 302)
Current repository: Scotland Museum nan Eilean in Steòrnabhagh | Stornoway (inv. no. )
Last recorded location(s): Observed at the University of Cardiff. Now in the Museum nan Eilean in Steòrnabhagh (Stornoway), where the OG(H)AM team recorded it on 2025-06-19.
Support
Canmore 108290
Object type: Plaque
Material: Bone
Dimensions: H 4.4 × W 1.1-0.8 × D 0.2 cm
Condition: The plaque is fractured at both ends. Forsyth (2007, 462) observed that the plaque may have originally been considerably longer and that the inscription clearly continued. The extant portion consists of ‘three fragments which fit together exactly’ (Forsyth 2007, 462).
Inscription
Text field: The inscription is found on the smooth outer surface of the bone. The stem-line takes up the full length of the plaque and is positioned slightly closer to one long edge than the other. The stem-line is deeply cut and ‘appears to have been drawn free-hand rather than ruled’ (Forsyth 2007, 462). The inscription is comprised of five evenly-spaced and neatly parallel characters and the first stroke of a sixth one, utilizing the full width of the plaque’s surface (Forsyth 2007, 462).
Letters: The inscription has been chiselled with a sharp blade (Forsyth 2007, 462). The letters have been precisely and accurately cut. The execution of the letters on such a minute scale suggests particular skill and attention, especially in regards to the tiny five-stroke angled vowel.
Date: Eighth to tenth century, or later
Edition
Transcription: [---]EQ BIK[---] →
Critical apparatus:
- Alternatively, it was possible that the inscription was meant to be read in the other direction which produces the following reading: Right to left: [---]ӾI͕HNE[---] 2. Forsyth (2012, 271) identified three major obstacles preventing the inscription’s interpretation: ‘the uncertainty concerning the object’s correct orientation, the orthographic uncertainty concerning three of the characters, and the brevity of the surviving section’. In extension, the language of the inscription cannot be identified with certainty and any analysis of the object therefore remains speculative despite the clarity of the extant characters (Forsyth 2007, 467-469). 3. Forsyth (2007, 469) speculates that the inscription could include the Gaelic word for ‘son’ in the genitive case, which could then be expected to be followed by a personal name in the genitive case. Should it not be a genitive, it could be the start of a name.
Translation
(of) son of Becc
Commentary
One out of several possible interpretations is that the inscription contains a Gaelic male personal name (MEQ BIK for manuscript spelling meic Bicc), but other conflicting readings are equally plausible (Forsyth 2012, 272).
While an exact date of origin cannot be determined, certain features of the inscription imply that it is not an example of the earliest Scottish ogham and more likely dates to the eight to tenth century or later (Forsyth 2007, 471). This includes the increased length of vowel strokes compared to the typically shorter notches of the earliest Irish oghams as well as the more distinct spacing between letters (Forsyth 2007, 469-470).
Forsyth (2012, 273) remarks on how the tapering shape of the plaque is reminiscent of ‘the wooden merchants’ labels excavated from medieval Bergen in Norway’ which ‘bore the name of the merchant and were meant to be tied to or inserted into goods bought’.
References
- Forsyth, Ballin Smith, Taylor, and Williams 2007, 461-477
- Forsyth and Sharples 2012, 271-273