Professor Gordon Noble - Discovering the Picts

We join Professor Gordon Noble as he highlights some of the major successes of the University of Aberdeen Northern Picts project. The Picts were first mentioned in late Roman sources and eventually comprised the most powerful series of kingdoms in northern Britain until the 10th century. The Picts are poorly documented and the archaeology of this time period has been traditionally thin on the ground. The Northern Picts project has provided an unprecedented insight into Pictish society, discovering elite settlements of the Picts, scaling cliffs to find coastal forts and uncovering artefacts that reveal the international connections that helped forge Pictish society.

[@caledoniantours220]

Great I formation, fewer 'em's would be good!

[@David-mo5jw]

Realy interesting and gets you thinking. Could the Alfred pierced coin be used to identify a common cause of being opposed to the vikings?.I suppose if people saw my enemies,enemy as my friend they could have common cause even in thought. Great talk!!

[@geoffhunter7704]

Yes from 794 AD the Norse were a menace to Alba and there are frequent mention of the Kings of Scots fighting campaign's against them especially King Constantine C900-942 he was one of the Leaders of the Great Army that were defeated at Brunanburh which came against King Aethelstan of Engaland in 937AD which may have been fought at Bromborough on the Mersey the Dublin Norse are supposed to have been allies of King Constantine but it was not till King Kenneths Victory over the Norse Army at Scone in 990AD where the annals state that the Lochlann's were slaughtered that Scotland up to Ross ceased to be the menace they were and the site of the battle is called Denmarkfield today.

[@sanderson9338]

Interesting upload I always wonder why the Dunnicaer site is not time lined with the Roman marching Fort at Maryculter/ Peterculter. You follow through this route via Lumphanan to Alford to Burghead is this forgotten by all local Aberdonian peoples or just overlooked by the universities. On route you have Mons Grapius with the imagined Roman antagonist Calgacus. Both Bennachie and Tap o Noth Rynie were important centres of Pictish culture in the North East. We refer to the North East Picts as being CE and Cait even though we know these people referred to themselves as Cruthie. The roman names of Taezali, Verturiones and Decante all speak of the Cruthie. Also the symbol stones are suggested as some type of mystery when the people know the groupings and symbology are the ancestral names. All so called z rods and discs make this clear as day.

[@geoffhunter7704]

The Roman Fort at Raedykes overlooking Stonehaven is very unusual for being almost polyangular in shape an opposite to the more normal playing card shape and excavations at Bowduns the next peninsular north of Dunottar Castle in the 90s to which Dunnicaer is attached found signs of 7th C occupation which led to the excavation atop Dunnicaer and Dunottar itself found only medieval occupation but the stack has extensive buildings spread across it.

[@sanderson9338]

@@geoffhunter7704 yes Gordon Noble proved it was a pictish outpost part of CE based at Tap o noth the real kingdom of the Picts not Fortriu.

[@geoffhunter7704]

@@sanderson9338 There are two considered sites for Mons Graupius, Duncrub, Dunning (Dunin in 1279 AD) in Strathallan/Strathern Perthshire and Bennachie Aberdeenshire both have the requisite Roman Camp and High Hills and both have attractive theories as one or the other being the much searched for battle site,my personal favourite is Duncrub as the Caledones were keen to draw the Roman Army away from their foraging and destruction of their crops and dwellings as related in Tacitus and bypassing the Romans and offering battle in Perthshire would definitely lure the enemy away from the Northern Heartland Harrying and Burning!

[@damionkeeling3103]

@@sanderson9338 Why do you say Ce is the real centre when the Romans mention the Verturiones as one of the major groups - meaning a confederation led by that tribe and the name obviously gives Fortriu.

[@sanderson9338]

@@damionkeeling3103 CE tap o noth Ryhnie, Mons Grampius Bennachie, Dunicairn, Dunnotar, Roman Campaigns demonstrate Aberdeenshire was the centre of Pictland not Fortriu just facts proven by Archaeology. Fortriu was famous for being destroyed by Vikings. MaCbeth died at Lumphanan as possibly last Pictish lineal king the MacAlpin became King of Scotland by joining Dal riata with Picts at no time was Fortriu ever the Kingdom of Picts or Scots. Aberdeenshire was important till Robert the Bruce and continues till today. Moray was is and will be irrelevant in context. Fortriu and Circenn bent the knee to CE. R1b-S530 bloodtype identified as Pictish shows 1/10 scots have lineage where as in aberdeenshire its 1/5.8

[@pravoslavn]

Very interesting presentation, for which I render my thanks. But it would be nice if the Good Professor could speak without beginning most sentences with "UM." That is very annoying...

[@sanderson9338]

Dun as a prefix is meant as a Fort or defended area Pit is a prefix referring to Pictish lands is this stuff just forgotten now a days. We were the original Brittonic people of the North East we were farmers, fishermen and warriors both by sea and land embrace your history. This is why most of our Pictish power centres are on the coast. Why is Fittie never mentioned in these talks as there was another major Pictish site there.

[@brownwarrior6867]

I think it is likely the Picts used the Forts as power bases but traveled light and moved around the Land between these fortified areas leaving little or no trace behind them? Hence why there is little evidence remaining. It could well be also that as Picts there was little infighting among them and so therefore no real threat of being caught outside these forts other than by Invasion from the South or West where the Gaels resided.

[@mevenstien]

🙂

[@Section5_CdnIntelService]

Makes you wonder if the 'Picts' were actually Scandinavian folk originally. After all, they didn't sprout up from the Scottish soil.

[@Valhalla88888]

Picts were in Scotland 3000 years ago, there was a landbridge called Doggerland connecting Scandinavia to Scotland 8000 years ago ❤

[@shawnwhiteman7813]

If you all only knew who I am .

[@jdshaman6448]

Ri is not Celtic it is pan Indo-European. However look to Scandinavia t'is just a quick hop across the water. Denmark was always a main source of imported food for Scotland. See Henry Noble and Sons, Glasgow. Largest importer of eggs and dairy produce into Scotland from Denmark.

[@sanderson9338]

My names not sanderson and my last name is Anderson its Scottish son of Andrew. St Andrew is Scotlands patron ST.

[@jdshaman6448]

Indeed, but I do not understand your claims to Brittonic ancestry or Pictish ancestry. Archaeology and History should not be utilized to propound any form of nationalist or racial ancestry.

[@sanderson9338]

@@jdshaman6448 thats your opinion not mine. I am proud of my heritage and celebrate it. I don't really care if it is what you believe in, and frankly that's not my problem. I live in the North East of Scotland and my family history is traceable back to the 1200s in this location. Its a fair assumption my family history has always been here.

[@jdshaman6448]

@@sanderson9338 You should be proud of your heritage. Some see themselves as warriors. When i think of my heritage, i imagine myself as a swineherd in ancient times. Suddenly i am so glad to live in modern times.

[@jdshaman6448]

Great work by Professor Noble. But as to some of these comments. Archaeology and History should not be utilized to propound any form of nationalist or racial ancestry. Look at Hitler- look at yourself- are you an adult.

[@sanderson9338]

Yes hence why I can take pride in my heritage without disliking others. Are you an adult? Your views are your opinions not mine.

[@robbiethepict2783]

Stop trying to know things about us.

[@cccp319801spetsnaz]

No we will learn 😄

[@jdshaman6448]

Would that be the Normans.... Robbie being a Norman name?

[@sanderson9338]

@@jdshaman6448 you show your ignorance again Robert is a germanic name and has been used in Scotland for longer than the Norman's were present.

[@jdshaman6448]

@@sanderson9338 Yes it is a Viking name.

[@jdshaman6448]

@@sanderson9338 The Vikings arrived. Killed all the men, took the women. Clean sweep on Orkney. DNA proves this. They destroyed Scotland' monasteries, libraries and the civilised society. If there is pride here then claim it.