18 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

An archaeological dig at Govan Old Churchyard revealed a remarkable new find: an early medieval ‘Govan Warrior’ stone

An archaeological excavation in the churchyard at Govan Old Parish Church in Glasgow, a port city on the River Clyde in Scotland’s western lowlands, has uncovered a “remarkable” early medieval ‘Govan Warrior’ stone.

The early medieval carved stone is “quite unlike” any others discovered at the ancient site – which is celebrated for the richness of its Viking-age sculpture.

The stone portrays a man side-on carrying a round shield, a sharply pointed beard a flowing ponytail, and a shaft over their shoulder. The portrays, which could date to the 9th century, may represent links between Scotland’s Pictish rulers and Ireland. The Govan Warrior is unique within the existing collection due to its stylistic characteristics, which has drawn parallels with Pictish art.

The Excavations at Govan Old have been undertaken by the University of Glasgow under the leadership of Professor Stephen Driscoll, also a Trustee of Govan Heritage Trust, the custodians of Govan Old church since 2016. The Govan Warrior stone was discovered during a community fun day organized as part of Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival, co-ordinated by Glasgow Building Preservation Trust.

The oldest known Christian site in Glasgow, Govan Old was built in 1888 and stands on a religious site dating back to the sixth century. In 2007, Reverend Tom Davidson Kelly, a former minister of the church, described it as “possibly the most significant church in Glasgow, including the Cathedral”.

As you can see from this side-by-side comparison, the early medieval stones found in Govan appear to have been heavily influenced by Pictish sculpture! Photo: Govan Stones Project
As you can see from this side-by-side comparison, the early medieval stones found in Govan appear to have been heavily influenced by Pictish sculpture! Photo: Govan Stones Project

The Govan Stones Museum, which houses one of Europe’s finest collections of early medieval and Viking sculpture, is located in Govan Old. a group of more than 30 sculptures created by the lost Old Welsh-speaking British kingdom of Strathclyde, which ruled the Clyde Valley between the fifth and eleventh centuries AD.

The new find, currently dubbed the ‘Govan Warrior,’ was discovered on Saturday, September 16, 2023, and stands out even among the excellent existing collection, which includes the unique Govan Sarcophagus, the Govan Cross, and five hogback gravestones, a Scandinavian-style funerary monument dating from the 9th/10th centuries.

The Govan Warrior is unique within the existing collection due to its stylistic characteristics, which has drawn parallels with Pictish art and carvings from the Isle of Man. Unlike the other stones in the Govan collection, whose chunky style of carving is so distinctive that it has been described as a school of carving in its own right (the ‘Govan School’), the Govan Warrior is lightly incised, which may bring parallels with famous Pictish stones like the Rhynie Man from Aberdeenshire.

Professor Stephen Driscoll said: “It’s a style that makes us think both about the Pictish world and also about the Isle of Man and it’s interesting that we are halfway between these two places. Govan is the ideal place for these two artistic traditions or styles to come together.

“This is probably the most important find that I’ve made in my 30 years of working at Govan Old. The new stone is very exciting because it takes the collection to a different cultural place as it does not look like the heavier and chunkier ‘Govan School’ style. The new stone is much more delicate in its execution using finer shallow incisions.”

University of Glasgow

Cover Photo: The “Govan Warrior” stone. Image: Govan Heritage Trust

Related Articles

In southern Turkey, the remains of a Roman villa whose floor was decorated with geometrically patterned mosaics were unearthed during construction

13 July 2022

13 July 2022

Workers working to lay the foundation of a new building in the Defne district of Hatay, southern Turkey, by accident...

Archaeologists have found a previously unknown Roman city with buildings of monumental proportions in Spain’s Aragon Region

17 July 2022

17 July 2022

Archaeologists from the University of Zaragoza in Spain have discovered a previously unknown Roman city with buildings of monumental proportions....

Researchers decipher enigmatic ancient ‘Unknown Kushan Script’

13 July 2023

13 July 2023

A research team at the University of Cologne’s Department of Linguistics deciphered a writing system belonging to the Kushan Empire,...

Albastı “A Mother’s Nightmare “

5 February 2021

5 February 2021

Albastı is one of the bad characters in Turkish mythology. The fearful dream of puerperal women and babies, Albastı continues...

Gaza bulldozers unearth Roman-era a burial site

1 February 2022

1 February 2022

Bulldozers digging for an Egyptian-funded housing project in the Gaza Strip have unearthed the ruins of a tomb dating back...

Giant handaxe discovered at Ice Age site in Kent, UK

8 July 2023

8 July 2023

Researchers in Kent in southeastern England have discovered a prehistoric handaxe so big it would have been almost impossible to...

Largest Headhunting Massacre of Women and Children in Neolithic China

12 November 2023

12 November 2023

A new study discovers that ancient headless skeletons discovered in mass graves in China are the remains of victims who...

Rare Elizabethan ship discovered at a quarry

2 January 2023

2 January 2023

An Elizabethan ship in “remarkable condition” has been discovered on the lake bed of a Kent quarry, one of only...

Archaeologists unearth 128 ancient urn burial tombs for children in north China

22 November 2021

22 November 2021

Archaeologists have uncovered urn burial chambers containing the remains of 128 infants among the ruins of an ancient city of...

Medieval Islamic glass of Scottish Caerlaverock Castle reveals untold histories

23 October 2022

23 October 2022

Discovered by archaeologists at Caerlaverock Castle, eleven kilometers south of Dumfries on Scotland’s south coast, a trio of Islamic glass...

The earliest manuscript of Gospel about Jesus’s childhood discovered in Germany

14 June 2024

14 June 2024

A newly deciphered manuscript dating back 1,600 years has been determined to be the oldest record of Jesus Christ’s childhood,...

8000 years old fingerprint and ceramic production workshop found in İzmir Ulucak Mound

22 August 2022

22 August 2022

It was understood that the structure unearthed during the ongoing excavations in the 8850-year-old Ulucak Mound (Ulucak Höyük), the oldest...

A Rare Late Neolithic Period Seal found in Domuztepe Mound

25 August 2022

25 August 2022

A rare Late Neolithic Seal was discovered during the 2022 excavations of the Domuztepe Mound (Domuztepe Höyük), located on the...

Spectacular ancient mosaic found in Paphos, Cyprus

21 July 2021

21 July 2021

During the excavations carried out on Fabrika Hill in Kato Paphos, Cyprus, an ancient mosaic floor belonging to the Hellenistic...

In Medieval burial ground, a rare embroidered Deisis depicting Jesus Christ was discovered

26 February 2023

26 February 2023

Russian archaeologists have uncovered a rare embroidered Deisis depicting Jesus Christ in a medieval burial ground. 46 graves have been...