# Noble 2018: The development of the Pictish symbol system: inscribing identity beyond the edges of Empire > Gordon Noble, Martin Goldberg, Derek Hamilton, 2018. 14 records on Mysteries Department cite it. The source for the revised dating and the naming… Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CQHA6SA1V57/the-development-of-the-pictish-symbol-system-inscribing Publisher: Mysteries Department Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page) --- [Sources](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources)[Pictish symbol stones](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/pictish-symbols)Noble 2018 **0** # The development of the Pictish symbol system: inscribing identity beyond the edges of Empire Gordon Noble, Martin Goldberg, Derek Hamilton, 2018. _Antiquity 92(365), 1329-1348_. New radiocarbon dates and Bayesian modelling for symbol-bearing contexts at Dunnicaer, Rhynie and in the Northern Isles, placing the origin of the symbol system in the third to fourth century AD and interpreting it as a naming system contemporary with ogham and runes. **Pictish symbol stones** Articledoi: **[10.15184/aqy.2018.68](https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2018.68)** Checked against the original0 ## What it's used for here The source for the revised dating and the naming interpretation. ## The document 20 pages [Pages][Text]Page 1 of 20 [![Page 1](https://mysteriesdept.com/files/v/7f369708473c8c57d5aaeb68e6cc1a2634844eb90ee945ae4149d5100547a1d3/p1)1][![Page 2](https://mysteriesdept.com/files/v/7f369708473c8c57d5aaeb68e6cc1a2634844eb90ee945ae4149d5100547a1d3/p2)2][![Page 3](https://mysteriesdept.com/files/v/7f369708473c8c57d5aaeb68e6cc1a2634844eb90ee945ae4149d5100547a1d3/p3)3][![Page 4](https://mysteriesdept.com/files/v/7f369708473c8c57d5aaeb68e6cc1a2634844eb90ee945ae4149d5100547a1d3/p4)4][![Page 5](https://mysteriesdept.com/files/v/7f369708473c8c57d5aaeb68e6cc1a2634844eb90ee945ae4149d5100547a1d3/p5)5][![Page 6](https://mysteriesdept.com/files/v/7f369708473c8c57d5aaeb68e6cc1a2634844eb90ee945ae4149d5100547a1d3/p6)6][![Page 7](https://mysteriesdept.com/files/v/7f369708473c8c57d5aaeb68e6cc1a2634844eb90ee945ae4149d5100547a1d3/p7)7][![Page 8](https://mysteriesdept.com/files/v/7f369708473c8c57d5aaeb68e6cc1a2634844eb90ee945ae4149d5100547a1d3/p8)8][![Page 9](https://mysteriesdept.com/files/v/7f369708473c8c57d5aaeb68e6cc1a2634844eb90ee945ae4149d5100547a1d3/p9)9][![Page 10](https://mysteriesdept.com/files/v/7f369708473c8c57d5aaeb68e6cc1a2634844eb90ee945ae4149d5100547a1d3/p10)10][![Page 11](https://mysteriesdept.com/files/v/7f369708473c8c57d5aaeb68e6cc1a2634844eb90ee945ae4149d5100547a1d3/p11)11][![Page 12](https://mysteriesdept.com/files/v/7f369708473c8c57d5aaeb68e6cc1a2634844eb90ee945ae4149d5100547a1d3/p12)12] ![Page 1 of The development of the Pictish symbol system: inscribing identity beyond the edges of Empire](https://mysteriesdept.com/files/v/7f369708473c8c57d5aaeb68e6cc1a2634844eb90ee945ae4149d5100547a1d3/p1) The first 12 pages are shown; the rest are in the file. Text taken from the file. Check it against the page. ## Cited by on this site 14 records [The system began in the sixth or seventh century AD.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/pictish-symbols/answers/ANS0CQHANXP4WS9/the-system-began-in-the-sixth-or-seventh-century-ad) Answer ANS [The system was in use by the third to fourth century AD.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/pictish-symbols/answers/ANS0CQHAN683C69/the-system-was-in-use-by-the-third-to-fourth-century-ad) Answer ANS [The Dunnicaer carved stones](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/pictish-symbols/artifacts/ART0CQHARBT2PV1/the-dunnicaer-carved-stones) ART [The Rhynie symbol stones](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/pictish-symbols/artifacts/ART0CQHARKM4HD3/the-rhynie-symbol-stones) ART [Bone objects and settlement layers in the Northern Isles show the symbols in use in the fifth century.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/pictish-symbols/evidence/EVD0CQHANNW7382/bone-objects-and-settlement-layers-in-the-northern-isles) Evidence EVD [Direct dating places symbol use well before the sixth century at several sites.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/pictish-symbols/evidence/EVD0CQHAP5G0C6E/direct-dating-places-symbol-use-well-before-the-sixth) Evidence EVD [Dunnicaer's carvings come from a fort at its height in the third to fourth centuries AD.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/pictish-symbols/evidence/EVD0CQHANE27FRD/dunnicaers-carvings-come-from-a-fort-at-its-height-in-the) Evidence EVD [The 2018 dating places the system alongside ogham and runes and its authors read it as a naming system.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/pictish-symbols/evidence/EVD0CQHAHH24Q6F/the-2018-dating-places-the-system-alongside-ogham-and-runes) Evidence EVD [Noble, Goldberg and Hamilton date the symbol system to the 3rd to 4th century AD](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/pictish-symbols/events/EVT0CQHAFJJ1Q5B/noble-goldberg-and-hamilton-date-the-symbol-system-to-the) EVT [Symbols are carved at the promontory fort of Dunnicaer, then at its height](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/pictish-symbols/events/EVT0CQHAEV447Y8/symbols-are-carved-at-the-promontory-fort-of-dunnicaer-then) EVT [The fort at Rhynie, with its symbol stones, is occupied](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/pictish-symbols/events/EVT0CQHAF2Y512M/the-fort-at-rhynie-with-its-symbol-stones-is-occupied) EVT [Gordon Noble](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/pictish-symbols/people/FIG0CQHADVW2WHA/gordon-noble) FIG [The Pictish symbol stones](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/pictish-symbols) The mystery article MYS [When did the symbol system begin?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/pictish-symbols/questions/QST0CQHAGHT0ND4/when-did-the-symbol-system-begin) Question QST ## Cite it ``` Noble, G., Goldberg, M., & Hamilton, D. (2018). The development of the Pictish symbol system: inscribing identity beyond the edges of Empire. Antiquity 92(365), 1329-1348. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2018.68 ``` [Read it free at doi.org](https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2018.68)[Download PDF · 8.4 MB](https://mysteriesdept.com/files/d/7f369708473c8c57d5aaeb68e6cc1a2634844eb90ee945ae4149d5100547a1d3) Anyone can read it here; members can download it. Key **SRC** 0CQHA6SA1V57 Kind Journal article Rights CC-BY-4.0 Kept 27 Oct 2026 Checked Against the published article Added by [apollo](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo) The record Bibliographic records are CC0. Take this one as CSL-JSON, BibTeX or RIS. [CSL-JSON](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CQHA6SA1V57/the-development-of-the-pictish-symbol-system-inscribing/csl.json)