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University Collections

Encyclopaedia of the North East

R - Rock to Roman

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A large printed capital letter R with stone carvings, an axe, a bottle, a coin, a medal and some metal fragments.

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rock n 
A general term for the solid material that forms the Earth's crust. 

Aberdeen is built on granite. The cold enduring strength of the rock is reflected in the character of the city. Elgin is built on sandstone, a softer material more given to flamboyance. Both the strength and the flamboyance are part of the North East landscape and people.

Carved stone ball. About the size of a cricket ball, made of coarse dark brown stone and carved with a spiral around its whole surface.

Granite carved stone ball, Hill of Logie, Aberdeenshire (c2500BC).

ABDUA:15600

Axe head. A large axe head made of green jadeite, in a long rounded triangle shape, with a wooden haft.

Jadeite axe head, possibly imported, with replica haft added in the 19th or 20th century. Aberdeenshire (4000-2400BC).

ABDUA:37080

Axe head. A large, roughly triangular axe head in coarse beige stone.

Granite axe head, Aberchirder, Banffshire (4000-2000BC).

ABDUA:19817

Ball. An extremely smooth polished ball of grey and black speckled granite, about the size of a softball.

Ball made of Kemnay granite, Aberdeen (19th cent.)

ABDUA:36855

Block. A small rectangular block of pink and black speckled granite polished extremely smooth.

Block made of Peterhead granite, Peterhead (late 19th - early 20th cent.)

ABDUA:36856

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Roman adj of or pertaining to Rome esp 
1 the ~ Empire or 
2 the ~ Catholic church 

The Roman armies marched into the North East Scotland several times between the late 1st and 3rd centuries AD but they never stayed and the area was never part of the Roman Empire. The military campaigns are only marked by the faint traces of the temporary camps, usually only visible in aerial photographs. Stray finds such as the gold coin found on the route of the armies' march may mark their passing - or may have been bribes to native inhabitants. The glass bottle from Kinnord may represent more peaceful contacts such as trade or barter.

The Roman legacy is still with us. The ideas of classical Rome can still be seen in some of our laws, institutions (including this university) and religious practices. The Roman Catholic Church, which is part of this legacy, has left many traces in the North East.

Axel loops. Two heavily rusted, cracked fragments of iron with a flat curved shape.

Axle loops, identified in the 19th century - probably incorrectly - as being from the chariot of Calgacus who led the northern Celts in an ill-fated stand against the Romans in 83AD. Raedykes, Kincardine.

ABDUA:17637

Nails. Two large iron nails with a tapering square cross section, one about a foot long and the other half as long.

Nails from the fort of Inchtuthil, near Perth. The nails were buried by the retreating Romans to stop the Celts using the iron, still a valuable resource at the time.

ABDUA:39760, 39762

Aureus. Small gold coin about the size of a 1 pence piece. On one side is the profile of an emperor with laurels and the inscription IMPCAESSARVESPASIANVSAUGTRP. On the other side is a female figure wearing a cap and toga, holding a set of scales and a staff, with the inscription COSITER TRPO.

Aureus - gold coin of Vespasian (69-79AD) found at Port Elphinstone, Inverurie.

ABDUA:47477

Bottle. A small narrow glass bottle about five inches long. The body is slightly bulbous and the neck is about half the length of the bottle. The rim flares out. The glass is aqua blue at the bottom and fades to light green.

Roman glass bottle found at Loch Kinnord (1st - 2nd cent.)

ABDUA:36857

Moulding. Plaster figure of Christ on a block about five inches tall, broken at the mid torso. His face is turned to his right and his left hand is on his chest.

Moulding of Christ from Monymusk Church.

ABDUA:17638

Font

Stone font from Old Greyfriars Kirk, Aberdeen (15th - 17th cent.)

ABDUA:17640

Grave slab. A large rectangular block of grey stone about a foot and a half long, broken along the left edge and bottom. It is carved with a ring headed cross with eight spokes within the ring, part of a similar spoked ring on the left, and on the right a sword pointing downwards.

Grave slab from Nether Wardston, St Cyrus, Kincardineshire (possibly 14th cent.)

ABDUA:14097

Keystone. A large, thick octagonal block of reddish brown stone about a foot wide with a hole in the centre. On the sides are carvings of lambs, and on the surface is carved a cross with a heart between the arms, a ladder and a human figure.

Keystone pendant showing scenes of the Passion from the chapel at Whitehill, New Deer (16th - 17th cent.)

ABDUA:17639

Costrel. Fragment of a bronze bottle with the neck and part of the body which has thin horizontal grooves on it.

Brass costrel (pilrim's flask) from the Hospital at Kincardine O'Neil (14th - 16th cent.)

ABDUA:17635

Seal matrix. A bronze disc with a handle on the back. Depressed into the front is a design of a coat of arms split in half with three dog heads and a diagonal band on one side and a book on the other, with a bishop's hat above it. Around the edge is the inscription SIGILLVM COMMUNE GEORGII EPISCOPI ABERDONEN.

Seal of Bishop George Haliburton, Bishop of Aberdeen (1682-89).

ABDUA:13001

Seal bulla. A small lead disc. On one side in relief is a design of two bearded heads on either side of a tree like shape with a dagger in the middle and the inscription SPASPE. On the other side is the inscription CLE MENS PPVI with flowers and a border of dots.

Papal bulla (seal from document) of Clement VI (1342-52) from St Machar's Cathedral, Aberdeen.

ABDUA:13000

R - Rock to Roman