Staff at the Stirling base of Scotland’s national conservation centre have been preparing the Stone of Destiny for next month’s Coronation of King Charles III.
The Forthside Historic Environment Scotland (HES) Engine Shed workers have been using cutting-edge digital technologies and scientific analysis to reveal more of the story of the ancient symbol of Scotland’s monarchy.
It is part of their role in getting the Stone ready for the Coronation at Westminster Abbey, where it will be placed in the Coronation Chair for the ceremony.
The Engine Shed staff’s work has involved the creation of a new digital 3D model of the Stone, allowing it to be viewed from different perspectives in higher detail than ever before.
This has revealed previously unrecorded markings on the Stone’s surface, which have the appearance of Roman numerals.
HES senior digital innovation officer Sophia Mirashrafi said: “The work that the digital documentation and innovation team carries out here at the Engine Shed is at the very forefront of its field, and is crucial not only for the care and conservation of our heritage, but also for the opportunity it gives us to look at our history in new ways.
“It has been a privilege to apply this technology to an object with such an important place in Scotland’s history as the Stone of Destiny, and hugely rewarding to be able to reveal a little more of its intriguing story.”
Click here for more news and sport from the Stirling area.
The 2ft 2 ins by 1ft 4 piece of red sandstone - also known as the Stone of Scone - was taken to Westminster Abbey by King Edward I of England in 1296 during the first Scottish Wars of Independence and put into his Coronation Chair. Since then English and British monarchs have been crowned on the chair containing the Stone.
Famously, it was taken from Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1950 by four Scottish students – and turned up at Arbroath Abbey a few months later. During its 1950 removal from the Coronation Chair the stone broke into two pieces.
It was returned to Scotland in 1996 and has since been on display at Edinburgh Castle along with Scotland’s crown jewels.
The Stone is set for a new £26.5m museum at Perth City Hall next year where it will go on permanent display.
The digital imaging carried out by the Engine Shed staff in situ at Edinburgh Castle has improved visibility of the geological features of the Stone, such as cross-bedding, which is indicative of the geological conditions in which the sandstone was formed and which is characteristic of sandstone of the Scone Sandstone Formation.
Many tooling marks evident from original working of the stone and areas of wear and tear can now also be seen more clearly, as well as further details of the 1951 repair.
The digital scanning has also been used to create an exact scale 3D printed replica of the Stone, which has been used to help preparations for placing the Stone in the Coronation Chair.
HES head of research and climate change Ewan Hyslop said: “The high level of detail we’ve been able to capture through the digital imaging has enabled us to re-examine the tooling marks on the surface of the Stone, which has helped confirm that the Stone has been roughly worked by more than one stonemason with a number of different tools, as was previously thought. The discovery of previously unrecorded markings is also significant, and while at this point we’re unable to say for certain what their purpose or meaning might be, they offer the exciting opportunity for further areas of study.”
Harnessing a wider range of forensic techniques than available in the past, new scientific analysis has also uncovered additional information about the Stone.
The new examination has provided further evidence for the Stone’s origins, while also unearthing more of its post-quarrying history. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis was undertaken to determine the elemental composition of the Stone, leading to the discovery of traces of copper alloy on the top surface of the Stone that coincide with a dark stain near its centre.
This suggests a bronze or brass object has been in contact with or placed on the Stone at some time in its history.
Microscopic traces of gypsum plaster were also found to be present, infilling pores in the sandstone at various places, possibly traces of a plaster cast that was taken some time in the past.
Ewan continued: “We may not have all the answers at this stage, but what we’ve been able to uncover is testament to a variety of uses in the Stone’s long history and contributes to its provenance and authenticity.
“The Engine Shed is one of very few places within the heritage sector globally to offer this kind of cutting-edge digital and science work, and we’re delighted to be able to demonstrate the potential of these methods to enhance our understanding of such an important piece of our past as the Stone of Destiny.”
