Stone Coffin

Blantyre's Ain Website

Blantyre, Lanarkshire, Scotland

High Blantyre

Stone Coffin, Archer’s Croft

Stone Coffin, Archer's CroftAncient urns have been, at various times, discovered in several parts of the parish; some of these were enclosed in a kind of kistvaen, covered by heaps of loose stones, and contained ashes, with remnants of half-burnt bones scattered round them. Within the last few years, a stone coffin was discovered, containing an urn of baked earth, in which was a skull with the teeth nearly entire and in good preservation; and fragments of six larger, and more richly ornamented, urns were found in another part of the same field, which is now called “Archers Croft.” Stone coffins have also been found at Lawhill and Greenhall, and other places situated within the limits of the parish.

Blantyre Parish

It is mentioned in the last Statistical Account of this parish, that urns have been dug up at different times in several parts of the parish; and that some of them were found in a large heap of stones. In the centre of the heap, square stones were place so as to form a kind of chest, and the urns were placed within it. They contained a kind of unctuous earthy substance, and some remains of bones were scattered around them. Strong impressions of fire were also evident on many of the stones. About three years ago, a stone coffin of the above description, with an urn standing in one corner of it was turned up at Shott, near the parish church. A skull almost entire was found in it, and nearly the whole of the teeth are in good preservation. The urn was of baked earth, seemingly only sun-dried, five and a half inches high, and the same across the mouth. It was partially ornamented with rude impressions made on the clay when soft. Fragments of six larger urns, more highly ornamented, and better burned, were found in other parts of the field. This field is now called Arches or Archer’s Croft. Stone coffins have also been found at Lawhill, Greenhall.

Burials and Cists, High Blantyre (Sites)

A number of cists have been found in the fields to the W of High Blantyre: A cist containing an ‘urn’ and the remains of an inhumation burial was found in the area known as Archer’s Croft, near the parish church of High Blantyre, in 1826. Fragments of six larger ‘urns’ were found in other parts of the field. The ONB {1857 gives dates of 1826 and 1842 for the finding of the urns. Further cists were discovered during the construction of a railway across the same field (Wright 1885). Wright also mentions the discovery of an ‘urn’ in a garden nearby.
New Statistical Account (NSA) 1845; Name Book 1858; S Wright 1885; RCAHMS 1978.

~~~

Blantyre, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Back to home

Right to next page

Site Designed & Maintained by:
minisymbol21“In Pursuit of Excellence”

Copyright © Symbol Internet Marketing 2003 – 2023

haste-ye-banner1