An archaeological excavation by the University of Glasgow in Govan Old Churchyard, Scotland has uncovered a remarkable new find. Early Medieval ‘Govan Warrior’ stone.
An early medieval warrior figure carved into a stone was found at Govan Old Churchyard during an archaeological dig that was overseen by Prof. Stephen Driscoll of the University of Glasgow and Clyde Archaeology. This discovery is unlike any other that has ever been made at this historic location, which is renowned for the quality of its Viking age sculpture.
The image on the stone shows a guy standing sideways while toting a round shield and a shaft. The figure can be regarded as a warrior and is likely wielding a sword or spear. While the warrior’s face has suffered significant damage since it was originally carved more than a thousand years ago, amazing features reveal a flowing ponytail and a razor sharp beard.
Govan Old is the home of the Govan Stones museum, which contains one of the finest collections of early medieval and Viking Age sculpture in Europe. A collection of over 30 sculptures produced by the Viking age Kingdom of Strathclyde, a lost kingdom of Old Welsh-speaking Britons who dominated the Clyde valley from the 5th – 11th centuries AD.
The Govan Warrior stone, a new discovery discovered on September 16, 2023, stands out for its quality even among the magnificent existing collection, which also includes the rare Govan Sarcophagus, the Govan Cross, and five hogback gravestones, a Scandinavian style funerary monument from the ninth or tenth centuries.
The Govan Warrior stands out from the rest of the collection because to its distinctive aesthetic features, which have been compared to Pictish carvings and art from the Isle of Man. The Govan Warrior is only lightly incised, which suggests that it may be related to well-known Pictish stones like the Rhynie Man from Aberdeenshire. This is in contrast to the other stones in the Govan collection, whose chunky style of carving is so distinctive that it has been referred to as a school of carving in its own right (the “Govan School”).
Professor Stephen Driscoll said: “It’s a style that makes us think both about the Pictish world and also about the Isle of Man and it’s interesting that we are halfway between these two places. Govan is the ideal place for these two artistic traditions or styles to come together. This is probably the most important find that I’ve made in my 30 years of working at Govan Old. The new stone is very exciting because it takes the collection to a different cultural place as it does not look like the heavier and chunkier ‘Govan School’ style. The new stone is much more delicate in its execution using finer shallow incisions.”
If you want to visit, Govan Old is open to the public from 1pm-4pm until October 31st.