The archaeology and prehistoric annals of Scotland . tural operations in the immediatevicinity of this ancient cross, inthe spring of , Mr. RobertBald, , an intelligent Scottishantiquary, obtained permissionfrom the Earl of Mar to makesome excavations around it, when,at about nine feet north from themonumental stone, a rude cistwas found, constructed of unhewn sandstone, measuring only three feet in length, and at each end ofthe cover, on the under side, a simple cross was cut. The lines whichformed the crosses were not rudely executed, but straight and uniform,and evidently finished
The archaeology and prehistoric annals of Scotland . tural operations in the immediatevicinity of this ancient cross, inthe spring of , Mr. RobertBald, , an intelligent Scottishantiquary, obtained permissionfrom the Earl of Mar to makesome excavations around it, when,at about nine feet north from themonumental stone, a rude cistwas found, constructed of unhewn sandstone, measuring only three feet in length, and at each end ofthe cover, on the under side, a simple cross was cut. The lines whichformed the crosses were not rudely executed, but straight and uniform,and evidently finished with care, though the slab itself was unusuallyrude and amorplious. Tlie cist lay east and west, and contained no-thing but human bones greatly decayed. Drawings of the cross andcist, and a plan of the ground, executed by Mr. Bald, are in the posses-sion of the Society of Antiquaries. Here we possess a singularly in-teresting example of the union of Christian and Pagan sepulchralrites : the cist laid east and west, according to the early CJiristian. SCJLPTURED STANDIN(i STONES. 497 custom, yet constructed of the old circumscribed dimensions, and ofthe rude but durable materials in use for ages before the new faitlihad superseded the aboriginal Pagan creeds. To this same transition-period there can now be little hesitation inassigning that remarkable class of Scottish sculptured stones, decoratedmost frequently on the one side with the figure of the cross, and onthe other with a few mystic symbols of constant recurrence whichstill remain an enigma to British Antiquaries, and to most others asubject of perfect indifference or contempt; though had they beendiscoA^ered on the banks of the Tigris or the Nile they would havebeen thought worthy of the united efforts of European scholars fortheir solution. Some of these monuments most probably belong toPagan times, as they contain only the mysterious symbols, unaccom-panied by the emblem of the Christian faith, and are usually of ruder
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, bookidarchaeologyp, bookyear1851
