- An ancient stone, housed in Scotland and dubbed the “Stone of Destiny,” has been used in the coronation of kings since around 840 AD.
- The origins of the stone’s prominence remain unknown.
- New research has revealed never-before-seen markings on the stone, which will be used during King Charles III’s coronation in May.
There’s a special stone used in the coronation ceremonies of monarchs in the United Kingdom. It’s been this way since around 840 AD. And now we have found, for the first time, hidden markings on the red sandstone slab that will be a part of King Charles III’s May coronation.
An oblong block 25 inches long, 15 inches wide, and about 10 inches thick, the stone’s earliest origins are a mystery. But it has long held a special place in the royal history of the United Kingdom, and is considered by many to be a sacred object.
Believed to have been moved to Scone about 840 AD by Kenneth I from western Scotland, this block—also called the Stone of Scone—became part of the coronation tradition for Scottish rulers. It didn’t remain in Scotland forever, though, as King Edward I of England pillaged it in 1296 and moved it to Westminster. It was officially returned to Scotland in 1996—with some theft now a part of it’s history—and is currently housed in Edinburgh Castle. It remains part of the United Kingdom’s coronation tradition, however, and Scotland has agreed to allow it to be used as part of the coronation chair in Westminster Abbey come May 6.
Due to the remaining ambiguity in the Stone of Destiny’s very early history, the Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has renewed its investigation into the red slab ahead of the big royal event. Using a newly created 3D model, researchers now have access to fresh angles and details, showing off what appear to be Roman numerals on the stone’s surface for the first time.
“It’s very existing to discover new information about an object as unique and important to Scotland’s history as the Stone of Destiny,” Ewan Hyslop, head of research and climate change at Historic Environment Scotland, says in a news release. “The high level of detail we’ve been able to capture through the digital imaging has enabled us to re-examine the tooling marks on the surface of the stone, which has helped confirm that the stone has been roughly worked by more than one stonemason with a number of different tools, as was previously thought.”
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