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East Kirk of St Nicholas dig September 2007

East Kirk of St Nicholas Dig – 17 September 2007

Judith Stones, Keeper of Archaeology, writes…

There hasn’t been a diary since July, I’m afraid, but I wouldn’t want anyone to imagine that we’d been snoozing on a beach somewhere! The post-excavation work has continued unceasingly throughout the summer, in fact. All the human skeletal material has been ‘processed’: it’s been cleaned, the complete skeletons have been checked and additional ‘disarticulated’ bones, or indeed animal bones, have been removed. Around two-thirds of the skeletal material has now been sent to Paul Duffy in Glasgow. Very soon there will be an update report from him here too.

Meanwhile, all the finds have been catalogued, those requiring conservation have been sent to the lab at Marischal Museum, while a number have been treated there and are back at our offices being drawn for publication and archive. Specific groups of objects, such as window glass, iron objects, copper alloy objects, textiles, clothing fragments, coffin fittings, have been prepared  for examination by specialists, while the coffin wood is ready to be sent off for identification plus dating by dendrochronology and/or carbon 14. The main phase of post-excavation work will finish at the end of September, following which a small, highly skilled team will complete the paperwork, resulting in a data structure report by the close of this year. Then it’s a question of waiting for all the specialists to report back and drafting the final publication. Sounds easy, doesn’t it?!

There’s also been a lot of photography going on, including the recording of a large number of historic features within the Kirk of St Nicholas as a whole. Many readers will know that St Nicholas has acted as a repository over many years for interesting pieces of stone, some found in the immediate area, and others not. For example, there are some decorated stones from the old Tolbooth, on the site now occupied by the 19th-century Town House. These finely carved fragments were built into a little summerhouse at Duthie Park, after the demise of the Tolbooth – and when the summerhouse was taken down, they found their way to St Nicholas for safe keeping. Other stones may help us understand some of the architectural pieces found during the dig, because they may also derive from the various medieval versions of St Nicholas. And still on the subject of stone, St Nicholas contains a magnificent collection of 15th-century funeral effigies. Our photographer Helen McPherson has been busily snapping away in recent weeks, and we thought perhaps readers might like to enjoy (just a selection) of the resulting images.

  Medieval grave marker      Prehistoric stone

  1                                                                         2

Carillon bells        Carillon bells

3                                                                           4

Carillon bells    18th century chandelier    Chair by Tim Stead

5                                                6                                                 7

Blocked medieval window        Detail of 15th century effigy

8                                                                           9

Clock mechanism in tower        Cowan Chapel

10                                                                         11

Rutherford Arms    Detail of Rutherford Arms    Drum's Aisle

12                                              13                                             14

Graffiti on pews      Graffiti on pews

15                                                                       16

Organ, West Kirk    External view from north    Parliamentary Clock

17                                              18                                              19

St John's Chapel    North Sea Oil Memorial Window     Plumber's plaque

20                                              21                                             22

Pulpit, West Kirk   City Carillonneur     Reid Arms

23                                             24                                               25

City Carillonneur       Roof of the crossing

26                                                                        27

15th century effigies      15th century effigies

28                                                                       29

Decorated stones from Tolbooth   Decorated stones from Tolbooth   Decorated stones from Tolbooth

30                                             31                                             32

15th century effigy     Detail of effigy

33                                                                      34

17th century embroidered hanging     17th century embroidery

35                                                                      36

Detail of embroidered hanging      Detail of embroidered hanging

37                                                38

1.         Medieval grave marker
2.         Prehistoric cup-marked stone, West Kirk
3-5.     Carillon bells
6.         18th century chandelier, West Kirk        
7.         Chair by Tim Stead, St John's Chapel
8.         Blocked medieval window, St John’s Chapel
9.         Detail of 15th century effigy
10.       Clock mechanism in tower
11.       Cowan Chapel, West Kirk
12        Rutherford Arms, St John's Chapel
13.       Detail of Rutherford Arms, St John's Chapel
14.       Drum's Aisle, crossing and St John's Chapel
15-16. Graffiti on pews, West Kirk Gallery
17.       Organ, West Kirk
18.       External view from north, showing St John’s Chapel
19.       Parliamentary Clock, West Kirk
20.       St John’s Chapel with North Sea Oil Memorial Window
21.       North Sea Oil Memorial Window
22.       Plumber’s plaque
23.       Pulpit, West Kirk
24, 26. Ronald Leith, City Carillonneur
25.       Reid Arms, St John's Chapel
27.       Roof of the crossing
28-29. 15th century Effigies
30-32.  Decorated stones from Tolbooth
33.       15th century Effigy, said to be that of Provost Robert Davidson
34.       Detail of Effigy
35.       17th century embroidered hanging depicting the story of Jeptha and his daughters
36.       Detail of embroidered hanging, depicting the Finding of Moses, showing possible representation of Bridge of Dee
37.       Embroidered hanging, showing the hanging of Hamon, from story of Esther and Ahasuerus
38.       Embroidered hanging depicting the Finding of Moses