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<< Feature Articles >> Pictish Stones, Boar Symbols and Romans – a connection?

Submitted by enorm on Thursday, 21 January 2016  Page Views: 8376

Early Medieval (Dark Age)Country: Scotland Type: Class I Pictish Symbol Stone

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Dores Stone - reconstructed copy
Dores Stone - reconstructed copy submitted by enorm : Reconstructed copy of Dores (Clune Farm) Stone for reading with enorm article Pictish Stones, Boar Symbols and Romans – a connection? (Vote or comment on this photo)
A Boar appears on two incised stones from near Inverness, Scotland. They are included in lists of Pictish Symbol Stones. This article explores a likely Roman symbol connection with potentially significant implications on the currently believed history of the Pictish period.

The surviving fragment of the Dores (Clune Farm) Stone, which geographically was near a chambered cairn, hut circles and field systems, is in the National Museum of Scotland (NMS), Edinburgh together with a reconstructed full boar copy. Photos courtesy of NMS.









Picture 1: Dores (Clune Farm) Stone - fragment ↑


Picture 2: reconstructed full boar copy ↑

Originally located near a stone circle, the Knocknagael Boar Stone is now housed in the foyer of the Highland Council, Inverness.


Picture 3: Knocknagael Stone - indoors↑


Picture 4: where it stood near Essich, Inverness ↑

Artistically, the upper leg joint scroll style is not dis-similar to bull carvings on the Kingsmills, Inverness and Burghead Stones. This style seems to represent skin folds, perhaps also giving the illusion of forward movement.

In the time of the Roman Empire the Boar was the symbol of the Twentieth Legion. It has several connections with Caledonia. The Twentieth built the base at Inchtuthil (82/83 CE) as part of Agricola’s campaign, it was involved with the construction of Hadrian’s Wall which began in 122 and the Antonine Wall (initially built between 142 and about 154). In 208 the Twentieth reappears when Septimius Severus initiated repairs to the Antonine Wall for his Caledonia campaign.

Archaeological evidence of the Twentieth, complete with Boar symbol, can be seen in the lower left on this dedication slab – the Cappuck Stone found in 1886 near Jedburgh – with the text "Twentieth Legion, Valeria Victrix, built (this)".


Picture 5:Cappuck Stone ↑

Roman establishments of various sizes were built during Agricolan and Severan campaigns in what is now North East Scotland. Larger camps were at Kintore, Muiryfold, Ythan Wells and Durno; others are of less determinate periods.

Previously unknown to me is Bonatrie referred to in Bradshaw’s Handbook of 1863 as Roman; it is by “Bona” on the south bank of Loch Dochfour at the eastern entrance of Loch Ness. Adjacent to Bona is the original location of the Dores (Clune Farm) stone with the incised boar symbol and nearer to Inverness the Knocknagael Boar Stone stood.


Picture 6: Bona - Map↑

This map is based on data provided through Vision of Britain Map extract and uses historical material which is copyright of the Great Britain Historical GIS Project and the University of Portsmouth.

The Dores stone has no other carvings on it – just the boar. The Knocknagael stone has one other symbol – a “mirror case”. Focussing on the boar symbols, could these stones have been erected and incised by people associated with the Roman Twentieth Legion?

In my Pictish-Mithraism website I have made the connection between those people who have stayed on after the Roman army withdrawal around 212 and their recording religious beliefs on stones. Perhaps the carvings on these Boar stones pre-dates that withdrawal – in other words incised when Twentieth Legion personnel were actively based at Bonatrie (or other nearby Roman sites).

This has significant historical impact – reinforcing that there was a Roman army presence further north than generally regarded, adding another location for the presence of the Twentieth Legion, requiring the removal of these Boar inscribed stones from the lists of Pictish Symbol Stones and challenging the dating of the Knocknagael Boar Stone (shown as 7th to 8th century on the Historic Scotland sign shown above).

Norman J Penny

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"Pictish Stones, Boar Symbols and Romans – a connection?" | Login/Create an Account | 1 comment
  
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boars by Anonymous on Saturday, 30 December 2023
I have pictures of all the boars on XX legion distance slabs. I can't see any elaboration scrolls at the top of the legs like you get with Pictish boars. Do you know of any?
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