Whitecleuch Chain
Encyclopedia
The Whitecleuch Chain is a large Pictish
silver
chain found in Whitecleuch, Lanarkshire
, Scotland
in 1869. A high status piece, it is likely to have been worn as a choker
neck ornament for ceremonial purposes. It dates from 400 to 800 AD.
, Scotland
. The initial report by Smith (1874) described the location of the find as being "in the vicinity of Drumlanrig Castle
" in Dumfries and Galloway
. The precise location was later clarified as being 12 miles north of the castle, in pasture land known as Rough Flow Moss, Whitecleuch.. This has caused a certain amount of confusion, with both sites being listed in some censuses of Pictish chains.
The chain was found at a depth of around 45 cm in the ground and was exposed by erosion of the edges of a drainage ditch. The location of the find in the South West of Scotland, some distance from the Pictish
territory is of no real significance due to the portable nature of the chain.
The paired ring chain is augmented by a large penannular ring with expanded flanges. The penannular ring bears Pictish
symbols of the type typically found on Class I and II Pictish standing stones
. On one side of the opening in the ring, there is a zigzag pattern and a double disc and Z-rod symbol
, bearing similarity to those on the silver plaques found in the Norrie's Law hoard. At the other side of the opening, there is a notched rectangle symbol, decorated with a pair of circles, running lengthwise along the rectangle and attached to opposite edges of the rectangle. This design is similar to that found on a stone found at Westfield, Falkland as well as a number of notched rectangles that are further decorated with Z-rods. The penannular ring was apparently used as a fastener to link the terminal ends of the chain together into a choker neck ornament.
The chain is one of ten certain examples of this type, and is on display at the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh
.
Picts
The Picts were a group of Late Iron Age and Early Mediaeval people living in what is now eastern and northern Scotland. There is an association with the distribution of brochs, place names beginning 'Pit-', for instance Pitlochry, and Pictish stones. They are recorded from before the Roman conquest...
silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
chain found in Whitecleuch, Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in 1869. A high status piece, it is likely to have been worn as a choker
Choker
A choker is a close-fitting necklace, worn high on the neck. This type of jewellery can consist of one or more bands circling the neck. Chokers can be made of a variety of materials, including velvet, plastic, beads, metal, and leather. They are often adorned in a variety of ways, including with...
neck ornament for ceremonial purposes. It dates from 400 to 800 AD.
Location
The Whitecleuch chain was found in May 1869 on land belonging to the Duke of Buccleuch at Whitecleuch, LanarkshireLanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The initial report by Smith (1874) described the location of the find as being "in the vicinity of Drumlanrig Castle
Drumlanrig Castle
Drumlanrig Castle sits on the Queensberry Estate in Scotland's Dumfries and Galloway.The Castle is the Dumfriesshire family home to the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry...
" in Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It was one of the nine administrative 'regions' of mainland Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government etc. Act 1973...
. The precise location was later clarified as being 12 miles north of the castle, in pasture land known as Rough Flow Moss, Whitecleuch.. This has caused a certain amount of confusion, with both sites being listed in some censuses of Pictish chains.
The chain was found at a depth of around 45 cm in the ground and was exposed by erosion of the edges of a drainage ditch. The location of the find in the South West of Scotland, some distance from the Pictish
Picts
The Picts were a group of Late Iron Age and Early Mediaeval people living in what is now eastern and northern Scotland. There is an association with the distribution of brochs, place names beginning 'Pit-', for instance Pitlochry, and Pictish stones. They are recorded from before the Roman conquest...
territory is of no real significance due to the portable nature of the chain.
Description
Weighing 1.8 kg and measuring approximately 50 cm in length, the chain consists of 44 silver rings interlinked in 22 pairs. According to Clark, the chain originally had 23 pairs of rings, but was damaged subsequent to its discovery.)The paired ring chain is augmented by a large penannular ring with expanded flanges. The penannular ring bears Pictish
Picts
The Picts were a group of Late Iron Age and Early Mediaeval people living in what is now eastern and northern Scotland. There is an association with the distribution of brochs, place names beginning 'Pit-', for instance Pitlochry, and Pictish stones. They are recorded from before the Roman conquest...
symbols of the type typically found on Class I and II Pictish standing stones
Pictish stones
Pictish stones are monumental stelae found in Scotland, mostly north of the Clyde-Forth line. These stones are the most visible remaining evidence of the Picts and are thought to date from the 6th to 9th centuries, a period during which the Picts became Christianized...
. On one side of the opening in the ring, there is a zigzag pattern and a double disc and Z-rod symbol
Double disc (Pictish symbol)
The double disc is a Pictish symbol of unknown meaning, that is frequently found on Class I and Class II Pictish stones, as well as on Pictish metalwork. The symbol can be found with and without an overlaid Z-rod , and in combinations of both .-Gallery:...
, bearing similarity to those on the silver plaques found in the Norrie's Law hoard. At the other side of the opening, there is a notched rectangle symbol, decorated with a pair of circles, running lengthwise along the rectangle and attached to opposite edges of the rectangle. This design is similar to that found on a stone found at Westfield, Falkland as well as a number of notched rectangles that are further decorated with Z-rods. The penannular ring was apparently used as a fastener to link the terminal ends of the chain together into a choker neck ornament.
The chain is one of ten certain examples of this type, and is on display at the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
.