Community archaeologists on Lismore at last have scientific proof that their island can rival Iona as Scotland’s best known cradle of Christianity.
Community digs over the past six years, funded by supporters, have been searching for Saint Moluag’s Monastery on Lismore. Proof would rank their tiny isle in importance with other prominent ecclesiastical and monastic early medieval establishments in Scotland, such as those on Iona, Portmahomack and Inchmartin.
And now, after a long wait, Lismore Historical Society has finally been given a definitive radiocarbon date that confirms part of a stone building they started to uncover in 2019 is part of the monastery they were searching for.
Dr Robert Hay, Lismore Historical Society’s archivist, described it as "breaking news" and said it was made possible with thanks to people’s generous donations and to National Museum of Scotland scientists.
There has long been a long-held belief that St Moluag arrived on Lismore from Ireland around 560AD on a mission to bring Christianity to the Picts but the question until now was where was his monastery situated?
Dr Hay said: "We have a definite radiocarbon date that confirms the building we found is definitely part of the monastery."
From analyses done at the National Museum of Scotland, they also know the craftworkers on the monastic site were making jewellery using copper alloys, silver and gold.
Nearby, other workers were creating fine carvings in stone, wood, bone and antler.
These activities confirm that the site, with the metal-working evidence, also shows parallels with secular power centres, such as at Dunadd, a royal centre of Dàl Riatan Argyll, said Dr Hay.
He told The Oban Times that it had long been assumed the monastery was near the later medieval Cathedral of Argyll on Lismore, dedicated to St Moluag in the 13th century, but that no visible signs had survived.
He explained: "After unsuccessful investigations in various areas, the volunteer team led by Dr Clare Ellis of Argyll Archaeology, turned their attention to a very unpromising wet, rushy field below the parish church - the surviving choir of the cathedral.
"The uncovering of an 8th century burial in 2019 showed that this was the right decision. But the Covid pandemic intervened and field work did not resume until 2022."
Excavation of structures revealed by geophysics included the foundations and floor paving of an oval building around 9m in diameter.
Dating was uncertain and, as well as a range of early medieval finds, Bronze Age arrowheads were also found.
But radiocarbon dating has now placed the building in the 7th-10th century AD, the era of the early monastery.
An area near the oval building was the focus of high-status and highly skilled metal working, with finds including around 120 fragments of crucibles, containers that had been used for melting precious metals, as confirmed by X-ray fluorescent (XRF) analysis at the National Museum of Scotland.
Broken ceramic moulds for making incomplete ring-shaped brooches and other items were recovered from the same area, said Dr Hay.
A search for artefacts from Lismore in the National Museum has also uncovered a rare touchstone used to quality test the purity of samples of gold.
Dr Hay added: "This fine craft activity, based on long-distance trade, generating prestigious objects for the church and wealthy patrons, is evidence of a sophisticated and influential monastic centre."
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