This document will form the 'handbook' for the recodng and assessment of carved stones. It is in the form of a series of questions and prompts relating to the site and individual stones Each question has a 'help' section that contains text and tables to guide the user in answeringthe questions. The questionstake the user through the assessment and are structured so that the non-special& is able to make a vahd judgement in areas such as geology and environment The assessment is in five parts that are designed to insure that the whole context of the carved stone is considered These parts are: (a) (b)
(c) (d) (e)
Background research - what is already known about the site andlor carvings. Assessment and recording of the environmentof the site. Visual inspection and measurement of the carved stone. Detaded description of the carved stone. Assessing the condition,the causes of decay and the underlying factors contributingto decay.
All of the observationsshould be recorded on the proforma sheets (blank copies of which are pmvided with thls handbook) and additional notes kept if necessary A fullphotographic record should be made and the location and position associated with each photograph recorded at the time. The stone should not be cleaned in any way nor should samples be removed from the stone or the immediate surround without the written permission of Historic Scotland This handbook contains a complete set of the forms required for the assessment as well as some worked examples. When recording on site, a Site Record Foxin (see page 5) and Location Plan (see page 6) should be completed h r the site where the carved stones are located A separate set of Carved Stone Record Forms (pages 9,13, L5 and 19) and a Carved Stone Detail sketch (see page 7) should be completed for each carved stone on the site (eg for each outmp on a 'cup and ring' site or each grave marker in a church yard). In a e s wherr a number of stones form a disaete unit, for example in a fireplace,this should be treated as a slngle carving and be recorded on one set of Carved Stone Record forms. (a) Background resead - what is already known about the site andlor carvings. This infbrmation is essential as it will give data on the history of the stone being studied (for example, when it was fbund, has it been moved) and on the current location (some are difficult to find when described as 3501-11north of a wall 600m east of a mad). Obvious sources of background &rmation are the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) and the National Museums of Scotland (NMS). There will probably be specialist published w o h on a s p d c monument type.In addition, infbrrnation is often held in local museums and collections. Research carried out suggests that, in time, it should be possible to indude much of this information, or at least the full references to the stone's location, in a database for automaticdownloadingto a disk or recording sheet prior to a site visit In the meantime the followingsourcesshould be consulted:
Historic Scotland - Scheduled Ancient Monument and Condition and Management Records (Monument Warden records) Historic Scotland - Conservation Records Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland - National Monuments Record of Scotland
(NMRS) National Museums of Scotland Regional and local collections and museums Studies of spe&c carved stone types - for example books by R W B Morris on rock art in various areas of Scotland and by J R Men and J Anderson on The Early Christian Monuments of Scotland Local History studies Ejdsting records will often indude photographs or illustmtionsof the carved stone that will allow some estimation of changes in its condition during a fixed period of time to be made. Records could also uncover data on the land-use, soil type and environmentof the site. Any information on the lithology of the monument is of i n t e e but should not be allowed to prejudge the assessment made on site. B&re any inspection takes place it is essential that permission to visit the carved stone is obtained and that all relevant health and safety precautions required by the site agent or owner are observed For reasons of security and for ease of working you may find it advantageous to work in pairs Finally, it wiU be u s d to take the following equipmentr
Tape measure (5m) Ruler PendVPen Compass Hand Lens (XI0 magdcation) Camem (with print film)