A relic dug up during the final archaeological excavation of the lost Bishop’s Palace near Kemnay has been identified as a rare seal from a 17th-century bottle.
The item from this summer’s dig at Fetternear is a piece of Piermont Water glassware dating from around 1690.
The seal is a memento from the heyday of Fetternear House rather than from the ancient palace site uncovered nearby.
The excavation of mediaeval remains below the grounds of the ruined mansion began in 1995 when evidence found by Dr Penny Dransart from the University of Wales Lampeter and the late Nicholas Bogdan from Barra, near Oldmeldrum, made Fetternear a site of international significance.
Over the years annual digs revealed remains of the former summer palace of the 13th and 14th-century bishops of Aberdeen, and what Fife-based archaeologist and glass specialist Robin Murdoch of Balmerino confirmed is the largest collection of glass from any Scottish excavation site.
This year’s 16th and final dig turned up more items to add to the array of ancient window and historic bottle glass, including the ornate seal.
Ms Dransart said: “I tended to assume most of the bottles and drinking glasses were for wine or ale, but this seal came from a bottle of mineral water.
“It is a very interesting find, and another fascinating part of the site’s story.”
The spelling and central design of the seal show it came from the Waldeck or River Weser area of Germany, she said.
Ms Dransart added: “The years 1690-1720 coincide with the period when the now-ruined Fetternear House was at its zenith.
Around that time Count Patrick Leslie of Balquhain and his second wife Mary Irvine of Drum had converted the tower house into a grand mansion, one of the great treasure houses of Scotland.
Fetternear House remained a Leslie family home until 1919 when it was destroyed by fire and only the shell of the building remained.
Author: Alistair Beaton | Source: The Press and Journal [September 18, 2010]