Hand-sized carved fragments from Portmahomack open a window onto a major Pictish art centre. The Portmahomack sculpture fragments are early-medieval carved slabs and stone pieces found around Portmahomack, also known as Tarbat, in Easter Ross.
Around two hundred fragments survive, many recovered during the University of York’s Tarbat Discovery Programme. Together they point to monumental crosses, cross-slabs, grave markers, church fittings and a carving school connected with Hilton of Cadboll, Shandwick and Nigg.
What follows is drawn from published sources, with each claim labelled by how firmly it is established.
History
Nineteen Portmahomack sculpture fragments were known in and around the churchyard before 1994. The University of York investigated the site through the Tarbat Discovery Programme between 1994 and 2007. The investigations recovered many more fragments, bringing the known group to around two hundred pieces.
Martin Carver proposed that many fragments came from four exceptionally large monumental crosses or cross-slabs. Radiocarbon dating of find layers has assigned much of the sculpture to the 8th century. The fragments show artistic links with Iona, Northumbria and the great Tarbat peninsula cross-slabs.
The collection also includes architectural pieces likely to have adorned an early stone church.
Connections
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Tarbat Discovery Programme
University of York project that recovered many fragments.
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Martin Carver
Excavation director who interpreted the monumental sculpture group.
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St Colman’s Church
Churchyard setting around which fragments were found.
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Hilton of Cadboll, Shandwick and Nigg
Related major Tarbat peninsula carved stones.
What to look for
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Boar Stone
Fragment interpreted as a sarcophagus lid with animal imagery.
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Calf Stone
Possible shrine or screen piece showing cattle and calf imagery.
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Inscribed cross fragment
One monumental cross carried a Latin inscription.
Plan your visit
- Location
- 57.8372°N · 3.8275°W
- Access
- Open access
- Terrain
- Easy going
Opening & admission
- Fragments are associated with St Colman’s Church/Tarbat displays and research context; verify current display before travelling.
Nearby places
Sacred place · Medieval
Dornoch Cathedral
Highland
It has served as a place of worship for eight centuries, from the seat of the medieval Bishops of Caithness to a working Church of Scotland parish…
Questions people ask
- What are the Portmahomack sculpture fragments?
- They are early-medieval carved stone pieces from Portmahomack or Tarbat.
- How many are there?
- The source pack says around two hundred fragments are known.
- Why are they important?
- They make Portmahomack one of the major rediscovered centres of Pictish art.
- Who excavated them?
- The University of York’s Tarbat Discovery Programme recovered many fragments between 1994 and 2007.
Sources
Explore more: Carved stones · Pictish & early medieval · Highland
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