Old Kilmadock (S-PER-004)

Provenance

Discovery: The cross slab was discovered buried in Old Kilmadock graveyard in 2019. An evaluation of seven trenches was conducted in September 2022 to lift and conserve the early medieval cross slab. The evaluation work uncovered the sides of the cross slab and revealed a previously unknown ogham inscription.

Findspot: Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland (National Grid Reference: NN 70664 02479)

Last recorded location(s): The cross slab was taken to Graciela Ainsworth Sculpture Conservation (GASC) for conservation. Prior to being lifted and conserved, the cross slab was 3D recorded by the OG(H)AM team on 20 March 2024. OG(H)AM re-recorded the cross slab in 3D in Graciela Ainsworth Sculpture Conservation’s workshop.

Support

Trove 24741

Object type: Cross-slab

Material: Stone type unknown

Dimensions: m

Decoration:

Condition: The cross-slab is fragmented. The beginning and end of the ogham inscription are missing, but the remaining portion is largely preserved. The ogham inscription is quite damaged, only some of the letters can be discerned with confidence. It is difficult to determine the extent of letters lost from the beginning, middle, and end of the inscription.

Letters: Although the extant inscription is short, it contains an example of a supplementary letter, the X forfid, and also shows evidence for the use of angled strokes to distinguish the second of the two O vowels in the inscription.

Edition

Transcription: [---]ṆNE[.]QC[---]OTTO[---]

Critical apparatus:

The interpretation of the X forfid is uncertain as it can represent /K/, /X/ or /E/. Given the context, it is possible that the most likely interpretation of the X forfid is /E/, but this is by no means certain.

Translation

The extant inscription supports a tentative reading and as such does not yield a meaningful translation.

Commentary

The remnants from the beginning of the visible inscription, -NN, could represent the very end of the first element which might have been a personal name. If the inscription followed the ‘X son of Y’ formula, then the Q could be evidence that the second element may have perhaps read MAQ for mac ‘son’. The last element of the inscription could possibly be interpreted as Caottocc[-] which could perhaps be the name of a parent.

References

Cook, Kilpatrick, MacKay, Strachan, and Thoms 2023, 173

Visiting the Old Kilmadock (S-PER-004) Ogham Stone

The Old Kilmadock (S-PER-004) stone is one of Scotland's finest early medieval monuments — and well worth the journey. Whether you're a dedicated epigrapher, a history enthusiast, or simply someone who loves exploring ancient places, seeing a 1,500-year-old inscription in person is an experience unlike any other.