A love token?

February 14, 2015ArchaeologyFindsArthur

For Valentine’s Day, we feature possibly one of the more romantic finds during the archaeological dig.

Quite a number of items of jewellery were found during the archaeological excavation. In the early part of June 2006 one particular burial of a young man was being uncovered. Resting on his ribs, just above where the heart would have been, was a silvered heart shaped brooch with what could be an arrow through it. The photograph shows the brooch in situ just as it was uncovered.

Post 31 Love token — The heart brooch on the chest of the young man

Cupid was a god in Roman mythology (known as Eros in Greek mythology) who was often portrayed as a winged youth or cherub. From quite an early date the iconography included a bow and arrow, so that anyone pierced by one of Cupid’s arrows would be filled with love and desire. In the mythological stories Cupid’s arrow was often used as a device for progressing the story. The idea of Cupid or Eros has developed and changed over the centuries, but remains a firmly associated with the heart and human love.

St Valentine, is another of the early Christian saints about which nothing is certain. Despite this St Valentine’s Day is a feast day in the Anglican and Lutheran churches amongst others. There was no link between St Valentine and romance until Chaucer mentioned it in the late 14th century. The idea developed and by the 17th century exchanging romantic messages at the feast of St Valentine was well established. By the end of the 18th century collections of suggested verses were published! The introduction of improved postal services encouraged the development of Valentine Cards in the 19th century and it is now big business. Images of hearts and arrows certainly appear regularly in designs.

Of course there is no way of knowing the detailed history of this particular brooch, but it is nice to imagine a grieving young woman leaving this token of eternal love on the body of the deceased at the time of burial.

12th Century Chancel wall

January 31, 2015ArchaeologyBuildingsArthur

In October 2014, when we posted about the east end of the 12th century building, we indicated the intention for a series of posts giving further information about the stages of development of the present building. This is the first of this series with the rest appearing intermittently during the course of 2015.

Pillar base ( Central ) in raft IB Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums Collection — Part of the 12th century north transept wall with pillar base in centre

When the archaeological dig began in 2006 it was not known what, if anything, would remain of previous buildings on the site, since each could have been demolished before erecting the next building. The reality was that a great deal was preserved. Thus, the lower levels of the whole of the chancel of the 12th century building were uncovered. Whilst both the north and south walls (the side walls of the chancel) were intact, the photographs in this blog are of the north wall. The stonework from the north wall was well preserved and can be seen in the first photograph. The wall is about 4 feet thick from inside to outside. However, some of the wall had been removed when the church building was being expanded in the late 1400s. This later building was to have massive pillars to carry much of the weight of the roof. These pillars required to have very stable foundations to avoid any danger of movement, so the builders made use of the existing walls. They did this by removing some stones to create circular ‘gaps’ into which large stones were placed to form the pillar bases. This ensured that there would be no east-west movement. The first photograph shows the north wall, viewed from inside the chancel, with a 15th century pillar base built into the 12th century wall. The pillar base is distinguishable by its curved shape (in the centre under the measuring pole). To its right is some ‘flat’ wall from the 12th century and then another pillar base at the right hand end of the wall.

Post 30 (c) Week 26 One of the foundation stones — One of the larger stones in situ

Post 30 (d) Week 30 Removal of large stone — Mechanical means were needed to remove larger stones

As part of the excavation it was necessary to remove both the original walls and the pillar bases. The size of some of the stones used to form the pillar bases was impressive. The second photograph shows Stewart Buchanan, deputy leader of the dig, carrying a smaller stone. The third photograph shows Stewart with one of the larger stones and deciding it is a bit too big for him to carry! Indeed to remove these it was necessary to erect a block and tackle to lift them into a mechanical tipper to get them out of the building, as shown in the final photograph. That the builders of more than 500 years ago could handle these stones and accurately place them into position deserves every credit.

To the east end the walls had been rebuilt to bond with the new east end as described in the 20 October blog. At the west end, the wall emerges from the walls of Drum’s Aisle which was the transept of that 12th century building. Drum’s Aisle is still used today and is part of the Kirk of St Nicholas Uniting and also houses St John’s Chapel, often known as the ‘Oil Chapel’. It is obvious, but it is worth noting that, until the late 1400s, the church building was far smaller than the present day building. Outside the walls (the opposite side to the photograph) was the graveyard which was taken inside the building when it was expanded in the late 15th century. Once the Mither Kirk Project redevelopment is complete it will be possible to see the western ends of both the north and south walls as they have been kept and will become a feature at either side of the early apse (see blog on 4 May 2014).

The photographs, which are copyright Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums Collections, are used with permission.

The Baptism of Christ

January 17, 2015ProgressStained glassArthur

In many churches, on a Sunday in early January, one of the Bible readings will have drawn attention to the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. That is the happening depicted here in a stained glass panel from the centre of the south-east window in the apse of St Nicholas’ Kirk. We see the Baptist pouring water on Jesus who stands in the river Jordan. The white lines above suggest the coming of the Spirit. In contrast to the birth of Jesus recounted (in quite different terms) by only two of the Gospels, all four Gospels draw attention to his baptism as the fundamental event for his mission and ministry in the world. Here his character as Son of God is declared and at the same time he is identified with sinful humanity. This is his epiphany or manifestation to the world to which the Spirit bears witness.

For Christians, their baptism marks their incorporation into the Church, often described as the Body of Christ, and testifies to the cleansing power of the love of God.

The window, erected in 1961, was the gift of, and commemorates, Charles A. Wilson, son, and successor in business of George Washington Wilson, the notable Aberdeen photographer of the Victorian era.

The maker was Gordon M. Webster, highly regarded and prolific Scottish stained glass artist of the mid 20^th century. It may be of interest of some to know that, later in the century his son was for a period Professor of Architecture in the Scott Sutherland School of the Robert Gordon University.

The window was cleaned and repaired as necessary during the Phase 1 works in 2010-11 by Christian Shaw of Edinburgh.

Our Pelican Logo

January 3, 2015NewsLogoArthur

The pelican is an ancient symbol in Christianity. It was first recorded in a book, Physiologus, in Alexandria in the 2nd century. The mother pelican is purported to pierce its own breast to feed its chicks if other food is scarce. Over the centuries this sacrificial giving has been used in the Church to symbolise the sacrificial giving of Jesus Christ in dying on the cross. In some churches it is also used to signify the act of Holy Communion. This meaning appears in a number of works of literature: for example, in Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

When the Mither Kirk Project was starting, we were anxious to adopt a symbol which would convey something of our objective: the giving of the building to create a space for everyone to use in the heart of Aberdeen. The ‘Mither Kirk’ of St Nicholas has been at the centre of life in Aberdeen for at least 900 years – mothering and protecting. Within the Kirk building there are many examples of the use of the pelican symbol in stone, metal and on wood. Thus the use of the pelican as an appropriate symbol for the project developed.As depicted in our logo, it incorporates the idea of the sacrificial giving of the mother pelican, with the wings acting as a protection for the chicks, whilst also making a heart shape, indicating an ongoing care for the people of this city.

Happy Christmas

December 23, 2014NewsStained glassArthur

A Happy Christmas from all those involved with OpenSpace Trust.

(The photograph, which shows part of a window in the West Kirk, is copyright of Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums Collections and is used with permission).

St Nicholas

December 6, 2014NewsStained glassArthur

The 6th December is celebrated as St Nicholas Day. He provides the theme of this post.

Who was St Nicholas? He was a real person but, as often happened with notable people in the past, it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction. Virtually the only thing that is certain about him is that he was Bishop of Myra (which is modern day Demre in SW Turkey) in the fourth century; but he became one of the most popular saints in both the Eastern and Western Churches. Tradition asserts that he was born, around 270, in Patara, another port not far distant from Myra. He probably died on 6th December 343 (or 352). The claim that his parents were wealthy but had died young and that an uncle, who brought him up and was Bishop of Patara is unlikely. Although it has been asserted that he was present as a champion of orthodoxy at the first Council of Nicea, called by the Roman Emperor, Constantine in 325, his name does not appear on any of the early lists of participants, making it very unlikely that he was one of the signatories of the Nicene Creed – still used in churches today.

Many other stories told of Nicholas are clearly legendary. However, it may be worth mentioning a few of them as together they may well give a true pointer to a man strongly committed to good and helpful actions. One story tells that Nicholas heard of a poor man who could not afford a dowry to allow his three daughters to marry. Secretly, at night, Nicholas delivered three purses of gold coins to them through the window. This story is depicted in one of the roundels in the window and lies behind the three gold disks to be found on the coat of arms of the Kirk – and the three ‘gold’ balls once commonly hanging outside pawnshops. He was also reputed to have performed a number of miracles including the raising to life three children who had been dismembered and pickled by a innkeeper. This is depicted on the reverse side of a 15^th century .Burgh seal and also on roof boss above the desk in St Mary’s Chapel. The various stories lie behind the adoption of Nicholas as patron saint by varied groups of people – sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, pawnbrokers and students, and, particularly, children. How this developed into the idea of Santa Claus is fairly obvious, the name coming via New Amsterdam (New York), from a Dutch version of his name.

After the removal in 1080 of his supposed relics from Myra to Bari in Italy the cult of Nicholas spread rapidly to many places, especially seaports. Accordingly, it is reasonable that the first church in Aberdeen, probably built soon after that date, should bear his name, but the first written record is dated 1157. He was regarded as patron not only of the Kirk but of the Burgh, and the records show that in the later middle ages the Rector of the Grammar School accompanied by one of his scholars dressed as bishop, visited the parents of pupils on St Nicholas’ Day to claim a contribution of four shillings Scots.

Post 26 St Nicholas Window in the West Kirk — St Nicholas, Bishop of Myra

The photograph is of the central part of a window in the west wall of the West Kirk and features St Nicholas seen holding three money bags. The present building dates from 1755 but the window is the most recent there and was only installed, in 1927. The rest of the window, not shown, depicts other scenes from the life of St Nicholas and, in a corner, the sign of the artist, Geoffrey Webb – a spider’s web (Not visible in this photograph).

(The photograph is copyright Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums Collections and is used with permission).

A Pilgrim Token?

November 27, 2014ArchaeologyFindsArthur

During the archaeological excavation in the former East Kirk of St Nicholas several items were found which produced uncertainty as to exactly what they are, where they are from or what their significance is. This is about one such find.

Post 25 Pilgrim token drawing — Drawing of the find

During the excavation a small piece of lead alloy was found on one of the burials, which, on closer examination, was found to have a picture on its surface. On a photograph this does not show up very clearly, so the illustrator working with the team produced a very detailed drawing of what she saw. It emerges that it depicts the Pieta, the body of the dead Christ on the lap of his mother Mary. From the size marker, you can see it is only about 2.5 cm (1 inch) across. The Pieta image is very common and can be found in many churches – there is one in the apse window of St Mary’s Chapel which we will probably feature here next Easter. Mary was a particular focus of devotion around the 15th century at the time that St Mary’s Chapel was being built. This particular item was found with the burial of the lady who had osteomalacia, the adult version of rickets (featured in the post on 6th October 2014), possibly caused by an underlying physical condition.

However, that does not explain what this is, or what its purpose was. One theory is that it was a Pilgrim Badge or Pilgrim Token. These were quite common from the 14th to mid-16th centuries. A very well known example is the scallop shell which featured in our posts on 3rd and 6th March 2014. These tokens were purchased (or collected) by a person on a pilgrimage and worn on an outer garment to show that they had been to that particular holy place. In many ways, they are a parallel to modern day souvenirs. Apart from being a symbol of piety, there were also some superstitions about the protective and healing powers of some of these badges.

At present we do not know the origin of this badge. As far as has been found so far, the design is unique, so it is unlikely to be from one of the ‘well known’ pilgrimage destinations. Could it even be related to our own St Mary’s Chapel? There is no known evidence of pilgrimage to it. Considerably more study will take place as part of the post-excavation studies which still have to be completed once the financial resource is available to pay for them.

(The drawing is copyright Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums Collections and are used with permission).

How the soil was removed during the archaeology

November 15, 2014ArchaeologyProblem solvedArthur

By its very nature, an archaeological dig produces a lot of ‘waste’ material. The practical problem is what to do with it. One option is to store it nearby, however, this was not an option in the dig in the former East Kirk of St Nicholas for two reasons. One was simply that the amount of spoil would be too great to be stored in the Kirkyard where public access had to be maintained and where there were many historic memorials. Additionally the space created by the dig was to be used as a new level in the proposed development of the building. It was, therefore, going to be necessary to remove the spoil using skips to landfill. That in itself created a problem, because the skip could not be accommodated in the Kirkyard. However, a location was available at the top of Correction Wynd. This was at a lower level than the access to the dig site with public footpaths and stairways in between.

Post 24 (a) Starting work on conveyor — First stage in erecting the conveyor inside

The solution was to open part of the wall high up on the east end of the building where there had been a larger window than the present one and then have one of those plastic bucket chutes down to the waiting skip. Many people walking on St Nicholas Street were startled by the rumbling noise produced when material went down! There was also an internal logistic problem to be overcome – how to get the spoil up to the height of the opening from the dig which would be going down to a depth of about 5 m (15 feet) lower than the opening. The answer was to use a small sectional conveyor belt system. The first photograph shows the initial steps erecting this inside the apse area of the former church. This shows the opening created in the wall and the ‘delivery’ section in place, with more sections being erected.

Post 24 (b) Men at work Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums Collection — Receiving end of the conveyor extended down below floor level

The second photograph shows it completed (although it could be moved, shortened or extended as necessary) with the ‘receiving end’ nearest the camera. Its method of working is fairly obvious, as the baffles on the conveyor belt caught the spoil and moved it up to the end of the section where it dropped into the next section and so on, until is went out into the chute. It worked very efficiently. Already on this photograph the conveyor is extending down a few feet below the original floor level.

Post 24 (c) Gen view 16th May 06Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums Collection — Seen from above, the conveyor extended down into the main dig

The final photograph is a more general view of the dig but shows the conveyor in the lower right extending well into the dig area. The coloured plastic trugs at the side are full of spoil waiting to be loaded (it was not left running all the time!). As the dig progressed, the conveyor was moved to the opposite side, to the centre and also extended downwards as material was removed.

Problem solved!!

(The photographs are copyright Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums Collections and are used with permission).

Problems with a corbel

November 2, 2014ProgressPhase 1 problemArthur

Post 23 (a) North East Ceiling Corbel 14 March 2010 — Intact boss and corbel before any damage

Post 23 (b) Corbel & Clean Plaster Break from Below Left. — The base of the corbel after removing the boss

In an earlier post (on 1st June 2104), we showed what had happened to one of the decorative bosses in the gallery of the former East Kirk when wet rot had destroyed the strength of its internal wooden structure. No-one was hurt when it crashed through the floor overnight, but there was concern about the safety of all the other decorative bosses, so they were carefully checked. One was found to be loose, so the decision was taken to carefully remove it. The first two pictures show an intact boss and a close-up of what remained after it had been removed. This was in an area which had already been treated for dry rot. On looking inside the small opening of the corbel, there was some concern that there could be some dry rot inside the plasterwork – but it was not possible to see enough to be sure. Complicating the matter was that nothing was known about the internal structure of the corbel. Obviously there would be structural wooden beams, which were supporting one of the main roof beams. If there were dry rot it could rapidly destroy the strength of the wood and so potentially cause a partial or total roof collapse.

Post 23 (c) Plaster removed from corbel showing structure of beams P1020025 Corbel 01.06.2011 — The interior structure of the corbel

The decision had to be taken to remove all the decorative plaster from this corbel so that any necessary treatment or replacement could be carried out. However, before this could be done, it was necessary to install some scaffolding to support the roof beam, just in case the wood had already lost its strength and it was only the plaster which was supporting the roof beam. Fortunately it became obvious that there was no dry rot, which was a great relief! Removing the plaster also revealed the internal structure of the corbel. This showed only two support timbers, resting on a stone protruding from the wall. One timber was vertical (the king post), whilst the other went up at a steep angle, far more steeply than the decorative plaster work would have suggested. The final photograph shows the exposed wood inside the corbel (with the support scaffold still partially in place). All the plaster was removed carefully and kept, so that it will be possible to reinstate the corbel when the interior build takes place, either using plaster or fibreglass.

An early church building

October 20, 2014HistoryBuildingsArthur

Being certain of the age of an old building is almost impossible. Frequently there is very little written evidence and what there is may be inconclusive. Dating therefore comes down to using circumstantial evidence, archaeological findings and experience. In an earlier post, the apse of what was probably the first building on the site of the present Kirk of St Nicholas was shown.

In this post we move forward several decades, perhaps even a couple of hundred years – we just do not know. Part of the walls of the present day Drum’s Aisle, particularly around the ‘Oil Chapel’ date, probably date back to around 1150s. Drum’s Aisle was the transept of a cruciform church, but it was not necessarily all built at the same time. During the archaeological dig in the former East Kirk of St Nicholas, the lower levels of the whole of the choir, the east end that building, were found. The choir would have housed the altar and so, if the erection had been in stages, this would have been built first. The walls uncovered show that the width of the choir as the transept were approximately the same. The choir was about 60 feet long measured from the transept – that is only about half the length of the present building. From this it might be assumed that the nave would also have been of a similar width. Parts of it could still remain under the floor of the West Kirk.

Post 22 (a) View 12 century east end looking north

The walls of the choir were quite substantial. However two different east ends to the building were found. It seems unlikely that this was as a result of making the building larger because the gap between the east walls was only a little over a foot. This poses the question ‘why?’ The stonework in the adjacent side walls probably answers that, since it indicated that the original east end had slipped down the slope of the Putachie Burn and had to be replaced along with a partial rebuild of the side walls. This may have happened as soon as 50 years after it was originally built. The soils exposed during the excavation indicate that the ground was marshy, so could have been quite unstable. The ‘new’ east end was reinforced with buttresses and made of beautifully worked sandstone. The two photographs show a general view of the east end as it was being uncovered (looking in a northerly direction) and the second one is a close-up of one of the north-east corner. The quality of the stonemasonry is obvious. Post 22 (b) Close up of NE buttress of rebuilt east wall

Aspects of the side walls of the choir will feature in a future post.