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Book of Kells Possibly Made by Highland Monks, Say Researchers
Thomas Keyes will recreate medieval vellum-making techniques at Portmahomack to compare new samples with the Book of Kells and test its Scottish origin, funded by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.
- Master Craftsman Thomas Keyes received a £2,779 grant from the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland to conduct an experimental archaeology project testing whether the 1,200-year-old Book of Kells was created at a monastery in Portmahomack.
- Excavations at the Portmahomack site revealed a unique 'parchmenarie' workshop, the only known early medieval vellum-working center in Northern Europe, which experts believe could have produced the manuscript.
- Reconstructing a 1,500-litre stone-lined tank allows Keyes to test if seaweed lye processing caused the 'pock-mark holes' found in the Book of Kells, providing physical evidence for its Scottish origins.
- Results of the experiment are expected in late 2026, when the Tarbat Discovery Centre will publish findings online and host a public lecture to share whether the techniques match the manuscript's production.
- Funding totaling £20,769 supports nine Scottish history projects, including this one, exploring diverse topics like ancient shell middens and Viking-era skeletal remains across the Highlands.
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19 Articles
Daily Journal
Where was the ‘world’s most precious object’ made?
The exact origins of The Book of Kells, an illustrated account of the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, are unknown.
New theories on the origin of the Book of Kells
Book dubbed 'the work of angels' may have been made in the Highlands Medieval monks in Easter Ross - and not the tiny island of Iona - may have created the intricately decorated 1,200-year-old Book of Kells, according to researchers. The illuminated manuscript depicting the four Gospels of the Christian New Testament has been described as "the work of angels" due to the complexity of its lettering and illustrations. Its origins are a mystery, bu…
Book dubbed 'the work of angels' may have been made in the Highlands
New Theory Challenges Origins of the Book of KellsA new research project suggests that the famous Book of Kells may not have been created on Iona as traditionally believed. Instead, scholars are exploring the possibility that it was produced in Easter Ross, at a monastery in Portmahomack.This fresh perspective could reshape long-standing assumptions about one of the most celebrated medieval manuscripts in history.A Masterpiece of Medieval ArtThe…
Society Funds Experimental Archaeology Connected to the Book of Kells and More with Latest Grants - Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
The results of the new research project may help establish that a medieval manuscript once dubbed ‘the most precious object of the western world’ could have been created in Easter Ross. Announced today, the £2,779 grant from the Society will enable Master Craftsman Thomas Keyes to conduct an experimental archaeology project later this year. Keyes hopes to gain a better understanding of the vellum workshop which was excavated at the monastic si…
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