Customer Reviews

The Symbol Stones of Scotland: A social anthropological resolution of the problem of the Picts

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Without a doubt the best book on Pictish studies since Wainwright's "The Problem of the Picts" and just like that book, a great controversial entry to the field!

Jackson delivers a brilliant theory on the marriage system of Pictish society, which according to him was governed by a complicated set of rules based on the number seven. He also delivers a clear new interpretration of Sueno's stone and the overall message in the carved stones of Scotland's original people.

A brilliant book!

It has been said (by me) "Without a doubt the best book on Pictish studies since Wainwright's "The Problem of the Picts" and just like that book, a great controversial entry to the field!"

What Jackson does rather well is to deliver a brilliant and complicated theory on the marriage system of Pictish society, which according to him was governed by a complicated set of rules based on the number seven. He also delivers a clear new interpretration of Sueno's stone and the overall message in the carved stones of Scotland's original people.

Pictish studies have been characterized (due to lack of actual evidence) by a lot of guesses and educated postulations - it all depends if you are in the Celtic camp or not - were they Celts? or were they a non Celtic people? The Picts were around till the 9th century and yet we know less about them than people who have disappeared for thousands of years. more research is needed.

Many of the issues raised here are still unanswered.... only DNA will deliver the true answer... this 1950's book is still provocative and excellent!