A drive around Pictland

Abstract

A damaged carving of a two-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle appears on the Pictish cross-slab from Skinnet Chapel, Halkirk, Caithness (Skinnet 1). In this paper the vehicle’s original design is partly re-created, with details of the pair of horses yoked to it. The slab, now in Thurso Museum, was surveyed in 2015 and 2017 by the use of RTI (Reflectance Transformation Imaging), a computer-based enhancement process. Resulting augmentation of surface relief in the processed images allows multiple overlays to be drawn/traced from various light vectors to create a composite final image. The restored components of the vehicle – cart or chariot – are discussed, with relevance to its possible role. Atypical physical features carved on the facing horse of the horse pair may hint at some ceremonial motive for their presence. After a short survey of known evidence for Pictish vehicles, direct derivation of design from antecedent archaeological finds of Iron Age chariots are assessed as unlikely due to the wide time gap. Possible construction influence (in both cultural directions) from wheels found in Scottish Roman sites is noted. The common format of wheels and vehicles on the Skinnet 1 stone and Irish High Cross illustrations of ‘chariots’ are described and mapped, with the appearance of the latter in early medieval times attributed to Pictish traditions of cartwrighting.