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The axe-carrying bird-men and the remaining iconography of the cross-slab from Papil, West Burra, Shetland, are described and analysed. Special emphasis is placed on examining the Papil bird-men first with Irish and Pictish examples of the Temptation of St Antony and second with detailed descriptions of weapon-carrying bird-men and axe-carrying human figures in Pictish sculpture, concluding that the Papil bird-men belong with the latter. This motif is compared with descriptions of battlefield demons in early Irish literature, namely, Morrígan, Bodb and Macha. The Papil cross-slab is suggested to date to the early 9th century, based on technique and comparative iconographic evidence, and is thus contemporary with related Pictish examples. This motif is shown to represent a common ideal of mythological war-like creatures in Pictish tradition, paralleled by written descriptions of lrish battlefield demons, thus suggesting shared perceptions of similar mythological figures in the Insular world. A further connection between Ireland, Irish ecclesiastical foundations in the Hebrides, Shetland and southern Pictland is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Scottish carved stone ball with unusual surface markings is described and analysed. Although undoubtedly an original prehistoric artefact, it is an unprovenanced find and there is no absolute certainty about the dating and character of its unique markings. Its enigmatic nature, with the possibility of anthropomorphic depiction, presents an interpretative challenge for archaeologists and art historians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fragment of carved stone found in March 2008 is likely to be part of a Pictish cross-slab of 8th- to 10th-century date. It bears a double disc and Z-rod within a frame and part of an interlace design, carved in incision and low relief. This is the fifth symbol-bearing monument known from Shetland and the only one to bear this particular symbol. Each disc is infilled with a cross of arcs, but it is uncertain whether this is purely decoration or whether it has Christian meaning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

THE SCULPTED STONES of Scotland have been used as a means of exploring Early-medieval art and ideology. Archaeological studies have also considered stone monuments within their physical setting, using landscapes to inform their social and political meanings. The following study looks at carved monuments in the context of their distribution and the relative amount of investment involved in their production. To understand the latter, a system of assessing relative investment in sculpture is devised and tested in three regional studies: Argyll and Bute, southern Pictland and Dumfries and Galloway. The resulting patterns and concentrations of investment in sculpture are then examined for underlying changes in structures of power. The patterns emphasise smaller units of power and combinations of secular and ecclesiastic control, and highlight the dynamic nature of power structures in Early-historic Scotland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the clothing of Picts who inhabited Scotland. Discovery of a unique repertoire of abstract symbols, animals and human figures carved in stone which provides information about Pictish life, including clothing; Investigation of faunal and plant remains on Pictish domestic site to have knowledge about the raw materials available for clothing; Availability of wood, hides and leather for clothing; Detection of the basic types of garment that include tunics, loose-fitting trousers, capes and cloaks.

The article describes the late preclassic Izapan-style stela-altar cult. The Izapan-style is reflected on contemporaneous stone carvings from sites in the Highlands, Scotland and coastal piedmont of Chiapas, Mexico and Guatemala, along the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and in the valleys of central Veracruz. Such style also involves the Olmec art and the narratives and symbolic repertoire of later Classic Maya works. The monuments that form the plaza spaces at Izapa are described with stela-altar combinations that put together erect, carved stone stelae with low, carved stone altars.

Examines the significance of a carved stone ball (CSB) in interpreting material culture in Scotland. Cultural biography and history of CSB; Debate on the functional uses of CSB; Importance of the sensory study on CSB; Significance of CSB in recognizing role of artefacts.