7th-century chapel dig hopes to find link to St Columba on isle of Mull

By MOIRA KERR
Published on 08/09/2012 03:06

AN ARCHAELOGICAL dig aimed at linking the hidden secrets of an ancient Christian chapel site with St Columba, below, has been launched on the 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.

Dr 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.”