7th-century chapel dig hopes to find link to St Columba on isle of Mull
Seven archaeologists, assisted by a 50-strong army of volunteers, are working on an intensive 28-day excavation at the seventh century chapel site.
Dr Clare Ellis, who is leading the dig at Balisgate, near Tobermory, said clues had already emerged to suggest it had been a “daughter chapel” of St Columba’s monastery on Iona.
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Hide AdDr Ellis, of Argyll Archaeology, said: “St Columba had a miracle cure, where he blessed white stones, and we have found white pebbles at the chapel leacht where a stone cross would have sat.
“St Columba died in 597 and parts of a juvenile’s skull that was found here have been carbon dated to the 7th century AD, to 610-690, so there is a real possibility that this could have been a daughter chapel to Iona Abbey.”