For
immediate release
9th July 2008
Press Release
Archaeologists investigate at Scone Palace:
Seat of Scottish Medieval Kingship
Visitors to Scone Palace this July will be able to witness a
team of archaeologists working in the grounds, as they begin exciting
excavations to uncover the lost rich abbey of Scone and the famous Moot Hill, where Scotland’s Kings were crowned from the 9th century.
Scone stands at a strategic location on the River
Tay, and in ancient times was an important centre of royal and ecclesiastical
power. The royal centre and monastery at Scone was where the Kings of Scotland,
including MacBeth and Robert the Bruce, were crowned, however it is
extraordinary that such an important place has left so little trace above
ground. The ancient royal centre and
early monastery were referred to for the first time in AD 906 when Constantine
II, king of the Gaelic Scots, met with the Bishop of St Andrews on the Moot
Hill. During a period of more than 1000 years Scone developed
from an early medieval royal settlement, into a great Augustinian abbey in the
12th century, before the Palace was created in the years around
1600.
The MASS Project (Moothill and Abbey
Survey Scone) aims to find out more
about the origins and development of Scone, and is being led by Peter Yeoman
and Oliver O’Grady. They will be accompanied by a team comprising a mix of
professional archaeologists, some from the University of Glasgow, along with six local volunteers.
Speaking about the forthcoming excavations
Peter Yeoman said, “In 2007 a
geophysical remote sensing survey was undertaken to investigate the Moothill
and to find the lost abbey. Evidence was found of a large buried ditch which
ran around the base of the Moothill, and a remarkably complete outline of the
abbey church and cloister was revealed”.
“Further geophysical surveys have just been carried out, with more work
being done on the abbey site to the east and south of the Palace. We’ve also
extended this into parts of the surrounding area, in order to gain a better
understanding of the rich early medieval landscape which existed around Scone at this time. So far the geophysics has been going very well this year, with
indications of new significant findings already emerging”.
The team is now planning to excavate a number
of trenches to test the results of the remote sensing surveys, focusing on two
areas:
- the Moothill, where a trench will be dug across
the base to investigate the possible ditch, while another small trench will be
dug on the summit to the south of the Mausoleum. This trench is intended to
reveal something of the 17th century parish church.
- the abbey, where five trenches will be dug in
the lawn between the Palace entrance and the graveyard, focused on what is
believed to be the plan of the abbey church. It is hoped to reveal elements of
the structure of the Augustinian church as well as something of its junction
with where the cloister would have stood down the slope to the south.
It is anticipated that the dig will bring to life one of the key centres
of power, politics and kingship in medieval Scotland and help shed light on the
creation and use of the Moothill for assemblies, the appearance of the early
medieval monastery, the development of the 12th century abbey and
the development of the Palace from the abbey buildings.
Visitors to the Palace and grounds will be able to see the
archaeologists at work and find out more about the excavations, during free
tours led by one of the archaeologists, from 14th – 26th July at 2pm each day.
A grounds entrance fee is payable (Adults £4.50, Children
£3, Concessions £4). To guarantee a place on your chosen tour please telephone
Pamela Lawrence on Tel. 01738 552300. Places may also be booked on arrival,
subject to availability.
Timeline
c700-900 Scone established as power centre of the Pictish province of Gowrie
906 meeting of Constantine II at Scone with Bishop Cellach of St
Andrews
1114 founding of new monastery,
building works over many decades
1249 Alexander III inaugurated on Stone of Destiny in abbey cemetery
1296 Stone of Destiny (along with
other treasures and documents) removed to
Westminster by Edward I
1298 abbey attacked
1306 Robert
Bruce crowned King of Scots at Scone
1360s abbey in poor state, young
canons instructed not to frequent taverns
1371 / 1390 Robert II and III hold parliaments on Montem (Moot Hill) of Scone
1400s pilgrims attracted to shrine of St Fergus in the abbey church
early 1500s home to Canon Robert
Carver, prolific composer of church music
1551 major church repairs in
progress
1559 sacked by Protestant
reformers
1606 lands granted to David
Murray, Lord Stormont
1618 Parish church constructed on
Moothill
1631 Lord Stormont dies, buried
in mausoleum on Moot Hill
1651 Charles II last king crowned
on Moot Hill
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