|
|
The
Early Carved Stones of Dunkeld
Although
nothing remains of any buildings which may have served the Church
from 849 onwards, parts of a number of carved stones do survive
from this period. These may either have served some ecclesiastical
function, or simply marked important graves. The earliest of them
is now in the base of the cathedral tower, although it was previously
in the park of Dunkeld House.
The single unfinished carving on it shows a man on horseback blowing
a horn and holding a spear.
Two other early stones formed parts of cross slabs, and are now
displayed in the chapter house. One of them has a portion of a
simple cross on one side; it was reused by a farmer as his tombstone
in 1729, and was presumably cut down at the time. The other, which
is locally known as the Apostles Stone is much
more elaborately carved, although very badly weathered through
being used for a long period as a churchyard gatepost. On it are
shown large numbers of men and beasts whose meaning is uncertain:
perhaps it was carved to commemorate a war-like individual, since
one small figure appears to have been beheaded. The two cross
slabs are probably of the ninth or tenth century.
|
|