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Mid-Argyll - 19
Dunadd cross-marked quern

Site/Artefact Dunadd cross-marked quern Type quern-stones Site Number National Grid Reference 1837 East 6935 North Map ( 1:25000) Ordnance Survey EXplorer No 358 List of Sites and Artefacts Click Here Interactive Map Click Here

Excavation Details
Not Available

Description
Around 20 quern-stones have been found at Dunadd. All of them except for this and one other were made of local stone.

The cross incised into the stone is of a style similar to crosses found on Iona - the biggest monastic church in Dál Riata at the time - and in other parts of Argyll.

One may speculate about the significance of a cross on such a quern. It may be simply a devout Christian's gesture of prayer, sanctifying the ordinary activities of the day, such as grinding corn.

However, the fact that flour is used in the production of bread, and that for Christians this bread will become the Body of Christ during the Mass, lends itself to speculation that this quern may have had a particularly ecclesiastical use.

Contemporary sources also describe millstones being used as bases for wooden crosses. Perhaps this is a reflex of that same association of stones and the cross.

Access/Ownership
Now at the National Museum of Scotland

Check out the following sections of the website for related information

• Dunadd's summit

Mid-Argyll Sites and Artefacts

1. Kilmory Oib  2. Druim an Dúin  3. Duntroon  4. Dún Ardifur 1  5. Eilean Rígh 1  6. Dún Chonaillach  7. Loch Awe Crannogs  8. Torran Hoard  9. Dún na Nighinne 10. Kilmartin Parish Church 11. Temple Wood Stone Circles 12. Ogham stone, Poltalloch 13. Barnakil Cross 14. Kilbride Chapel 15. Kilbride Crosses 16. Dunadd Fort 17. In Nomine disk 18. Brooch Moulds 19. Dunadd cross-marked quern 20. Loch Glashan Crannog 21. Glebe Cairn

22. Nether Largie North 23. Nether Largie Mid 24. Nether Largie South 25. Ri Cruin 26. Nether Largie 27. Ballymeanoch - Stones 28. Ballymeanoch - Henge 29. Ballymeanoch - Cairn 30. Dunchragaig 31. Baluachraig 32. Carnassarie Castle 33. BallymeanocH - Barrow 34. Dun Mac Samhainn 35. Glenmoine, Upper Largie 36. Creag a' Mhadaidh 37. Carnassarie - Round Cairn 38. Carnasserie - Standing Stones 39. Carnasserie - Cist 40. Carnasserie Cottage 41. Upper Largie - Cist 42. Upper Largie - Rock Carvings

43. Nether Largie 44. Poltalloch - Cist 45. Poltalloch - cists 46. Bruach an Druimein 47. Dunchraigaig - Dun 48. Poltalloch - Round Cairn 49. Rownfield - Cist 50. Ballymeanoch - Cist 51. Poltalloch - Cists 52. Ballymeanoch - Dun 53. Dunadd - Standing Stones 54. Dunadd - Standing Stone 55. Baile Mor - Dun 56. Anaskeog - Rock Carvings 57. Bariole 58. Rhudil - Round Cairn 1 59. Rhudil - Round Cairn 2 60. Kilmartin Castle 61. Slockavullin 62. Rowanfield - Standing Stone 63. Poltalloch - Cremation

Mayo - Vestvågøy - Mid-Argyll

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