Photographing Pictish monuments. © Sally Foster
Recording
Good practice in recording carved stones should reflect our current understandings as well as being ambitious, enabling us to continue to develop new appreciations of this material. Therefore, it captures what is significant about certain types of carved stones and their contexts — and what it is important to record — as well as practices that will help us to answer our current questions about them (and consequently refresh the ways that we value them).
The NCCSS encourages the systematic recording of various classes of carved stones by central and local government bodies, national and local archaeological and historical societies and similar groups, using mutually agreed recording and archiving conventions and including an assessment of the present condition of the stone. Priority should be given to the recording of important, or particularly vulnerable, stones or categories of stones. Records should be lodged with regional and national archives as appropriate so that information is available for others to consult.
Research — understanding what is significant about carved stones, and continuing to ask further questions — is fundamental to a sustainable future for carved stones. The NCCSS aims to encourage research on Scotland’s carved stones, in all their diversity, and publication in appropriate media targeted at a wide range of audiences.
The NCCSS has a long-standing track record in supporting carved stones research. In 2014/15, informed by its critical analysis of the issues facing carved stones, NCCSS contributed to the production of a Scottish Archaeology Research Framework for carved stones, part of the Future Thinking for Carved Stones project grant-aided by the Royal Society of Edinburgh and Historic Scotland (organised by Dr Sally Foster, University of Stirling and Dr Katherine Forsyth, University of Glasgow).
Examples of good practice:
Select bibliography:
The NCCSS encourages the systematic recording of various classes of carved stones by central and local government bodies, national and local archaeological and historical societies and similar groups, using mutually agreed recording and archiving conventions and including an assessment of the present condition of the stone. Priority should be given to the recording of important, or particularly vulnerable, stones or categories of stones. Records should be lodged with regional and national archives as appropriate so that information is available for others to consult.
Research — understanding what is significant about carved stones, and continuing to ask further questions — is fundamental to a sustainable future for carved stones. The NCCSS aims to encourage research on Scotland’s carved stones, in all their diversity, and publication in appropriate media targeted at a wide range of audiences.
The NCCSS has a long-standing track record in supporting carved stones research. In 2014/15, informed by its critical analysis of the issues facing carved stones, NCCSS contributed to the production of a Scottish Archaeology Research Framework for carved stones, part of the Future Thinking for Carved Stones project grant-aided by the Royal Society of Edinburgh and Historic Scotland (organised by Dr Sally Foster, University of Stirling and Dr Katherine Forsyth, University of Glasgow).
Examples of good practice:
- ACCORD, Historic Graves and Re-reading the British Memorial: Excellent examples of heritage specialists working with local communities to provide training in low-cost and high-tech field survey of gravestones and other types of carved stones.
- Scotland's Rock Art: An outstanding resource enhancing understanding and knowledge of Scotland’s rock art through community co-production and research, including a searchable database. The project has produced a wonderful booklet on Prehistoric Rock Art, available for download here and Historic Environment Scotland has established accessible guidance on identifying and recording Scotland's Rock Art - download here!
- England's Rock Art: A truly wonderful resource, funded by English Heritage, which will introduce you to rock art across Britain and Ireland. It illustrates, among other things, how volunteers can successfully help in recording rock art.
- Northumberland Rock Art: Web access to the Beckensall Archive. University-facilitated online access to an important archive compiled over many years by a dedicated and skilled member of the public.
- Scottish Association of Family History Society’s Graveyard Inventory: A list of more than 3,500 known burial sites in Scotland
Select bibliography:
- FISHER, I., 2001. Early Medieval Sculpture in the West Highlands and Islands. Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
- GRAY, T.E. and FERGUSON, L.M., 1997. Photographing Carved Stones. A Practical Guide to Recording Scotland's Past. Balgavies: Pinkfoot Press (for the National Committee on the Carved Stones of Scotland in association with Historic Scotland).
- MORAY BURIAL GROUND RESEARCH GROUP, 2006. Recording Buried Tombstones. Council for Scottish Archaeology
- MYTUM, H., 2000. Recording and Analysing Graveyards. York: Council for British Archaeology.
- PERTH AND KINROSS HERITAGE TRUST, Historic Churchyards – a gateway to the past.
- RCAHMS, 1999. Kilmartin Prehistoric & Early Historic Monuments. An Inventory of the Monuments extracted from Argyll, volume 6. Edinburgh: HMSO.
- THOMSON, G., 2001. Research in inscriptional palaeography (RIP). Scottish tombstone lettering 1241-1855: methodology and preliminary analysis. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 131, pp. 349-373.
- WILLSHER, B., 1985 (rev 2005). Understanding Scottish Graveyards. Edinburgh: Council for Scottish Archaeology.
