Crofter finds a 'Viking' anchor on the Isle of Skye

BBC ^ | Thursday, December 3, 2009 | unattributed

[SunkenCiv]

A crofter... Graeme Mackenzie, 47, made the find after hiring an excavator to open the drain on rough pastureland 50yds (48m) from his home near Sleat. Rain had partly washed away the bottom of the drain and exposed a corroded 4in (10cm) iron spike. Mr Mackenzie levered it out and was "stunned" as the ancient anchor gradually emerged. The Treasure Trove Unit at the National Museums of Scotland said the anchor will probably be claimed by the Crown. Measuring 4ft high and a similar distance from tip to tip, the artefact is undergoing dating and metallurgical testing. Preliminary results showed it is at least of medieval, possibly Viking, origin and could be about 1,000 years old. If proved to be Viking, the find would be further evidence that many Norse raiders never returned to their native land, choosing instead to settle on Skye and many other places along Scotland's northwestern seaboard.

[SMCC1]

I was thinking early 11th century.

[guitarplayer1953]

Still it was 1009 yes the 11th century was Scotland part of the UK then?

[SMCC1]

According to wikipedia, “The Kingdom of Scotland was an independent sovereign state before 1 May 1707 when it entered into a political union with the Kingdom of England to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain.”

For some reason I thought it was earlier than that but guess not.

[guitarplayer1953]

I was going to say when was Braveheart suppose to of happened?

[SMCC1]

13th century so the anchor predates both those events and the creation of the UK. Pretty cool.

[rdl6989]

I’m adding this to my bookmarks!

[Domangart]

A crofter was those people who lived off the land. Many of them were cleared in that area by Mrs MacDonald.

The descendants of Summerled MacSorley have had their DNA tested. It shows a clear line from the Norse.

[sionnsar]

Thanks to SunkenCiv for the ping.

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[DieHard the Hunter]

> I understood it to mean he found something of value and he’ll have it taken from him.

The mere act of “finding” something does not automatically make it yours.

If you were to “find” my wallet in the street, and you were to decide to keep it instead of trying to return it to me, you could be had up on charges of “Theft by Finding”.

Similar concept here: the anchor does not necessarily belong to the “finder” thereof.

[DuncanWaring]

Does Skye have a distillery?

[colorado tanker]

The English King Edward I conquered Scotland and was Braveheart's great nemisis. Edward's son was not the King or soldier Edward was and lost the Battle of Bannockburn to Edward the Bruce. Scotland was thereafter independent.

The crowns were united when Elizabeth died without an heir and the Scottish King James VI became King James I of England. The countries were technically separate, however, until the Acts of Union of 1707, after which the "Union Jack" became the flag of the United Kingdom.

[Deb]

They found a Viking burial plot in my front pasture on the Isle of Man. I didn’t think there ever any question the Vikings stayed.

[TheOldLady]

And definitely make your way up to Oban and taste the Scottish whiskey. Try some of the Islay malts, too. mmmmm mmmmm mmmmm! I loooove those smoky malts. Hubby prefers the Highland or Lowland single malts, but I love the Islays.

[MSF BU]

Ah, then it must ‘belong’ to the viking who lost it? Certainly it doesn’t belong to the government.

[Tax-chick]

b) how does the anchor prove vikings settled in Skye vs some viking lost his anchor?

I wondered that, myself. Very weak reasoning behind that statement, irrespective of the real facts.

[decal]

“Does Skye have a distillery?”

One of the best - Talisker.

http://www.scotchwhisky.net/malt/talisker.htm

[SunkenCiv]

Not my thing, but I would like to visit Scotland, yet.

[SunkenCiv]

Wow, thanks! Interesting!

[SunkenCiv]

Excellent.

[SunkenCiv]

Uh-boy... I wonder if they’ve got what it’s going to take, the NFL has a bigger than usual divergence in team quality this year.