Saturday, August 20, 2011

Pictish History at Fortingall

Excavations have begun at Fortingall village in Highland Perthshire, where the remains of an ancient Pictish monastery are believed to rest.

The dig will be led by renowned archaeologist Dr Oliver O'Grady, best known for excavations at Scone Palace that revealed medieval burials and evidence of the lost abbey of Scone.

Dr O'Grady carried out extensive geophysical surveys of the site last year and found signs of the monastic building, one section of which appears to enclose the cairn known as Carn na Marbh or Cairn of the Dead.

He has joined forces with members of the Breadalbane Heritage Society to discover more about Fortingall's history and in particular its place as a centre of Pictish worship.

The project will begin with the excavation of two trenches in the fields surrounding Fortingall village, where the monastery is thought to have stood.

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