EARLY MEDIEVAL SCULPTURE

Fragment of a sculpture dating to the Early Medieval period. The top of the stone is rounded and although worn appears to be an original face. The base however is broken. The base is irregular and has not been exposed to much weathering suggesting that it was protected within a structure or the ground while the top remained exposed. The fragment measures 18.5 cm in width, 7.0 cm in length and 5.7 > 2 cm in depth. A decorated stone fragment dating to the Early-Medieval period. The stone is a pointed oval in plan and is rectangular in cross-section.The stone is carved in relief on both main faces in the form of a hammer-head cross. The remains of a lateral and an upper cross-arm set against an undecorated ground is on one face. The top of the upper arm is damaged. The arms are defined by an edge moulding within which are worn traces of tightly packed interlace formed by parallel strands. The stone can be dated to the 10th - 11th century Viking period.Prof. Richard Bailey has examined the stone and said: "The curved edge suggests that this is not a rectangular slab but it could have been a small disc-headed grave marker of the type exemplified regionally by Altham 1 and 2 or, more elaborately, by Heysham 9 (forthcoming Bailey 2010). Equally however it could have topped a more ambitious and taller monument such as the circle-heads from St John, Chester (forthcoming Bailey 2010)."