Necklace

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This necklace made of cannel coal was found with a pot in a cist burial near Pitkennedy, near Aberlemno in Angus. It was a prestigious and valuable object, probably belonging to a woman, although no bones survived in the cist. The burial dates from between 2300 and 1800 BC.

The necklace consisted of a triangular fastener, two triangular end plates, four trapeze-shaped spacer places and (when found) around 104 barrel-shaped beads. The end and spacer plates had been decorated with a dot design. All plates and beads had been highly polished.

Cannel coal and other black substances in Scotland were used as substitutes for the highly-prized jet from Whitby in Yorkshire. Objects made of jet and these other materials were high status possessions. This necklace had probably not been very old when it was buried.

Record details

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• Online ID: 000-100-035-893-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  X.EQ 384
• Date: Between 2300 and 1800 BC
  
• Material: Jet
  
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• Where: Scotland, Angus, Aberlemno, Pitkennedy
  
• Event:
• Description: Jet necklace from a Bronze Age burial near Pitkennedy, Aberlemno, Angus
  
• References:
  • Clarke, D.V., Cowie, T.G., & Foxon, Andrew (eds). Symbols of power at the time of Stonehenge. Edinburgh: National Museums of Antiquities of Scotland, 1985, pp 206, 208, 212, 290. 
  • Jervise, A. 1860. Notice of a stone coffin which contained an urn and jet ornaments, discovered near Pitkennedy, parish of Aberlemno, Forfarshire. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 3 (1857-60), pp 78-9. 
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