Podcast Summary: The Ancients – The Picts: Rulers of the North
Host: Tristan Hughes
Guests: Prof. Gordon Noble (Northern Picts Research Project), Dr. Martin Goldberg (National Museum of Scotland)
Date: September 21, 2025
Duration (content): ~47 min
Overview
This special episode of The Ancients delves into the enigmatic world of the Picts, the formidable and artistic Iron Age people of what is now northeast Scotland. Host Tristan Hughes visits archaeological sites and speaks with scholars to uncover what is truly known about the Picts—from their hillfort strongholds and daily life to their mysterious symbols and intricate silverwork. The episode highlights ongoing research, recent discoveries (including rare artifacts), and the crucial role of archaeology in piecing together the Picts’ story, as so few written records survive.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Who Were the Picts?
[01:32–05:30]
- The Picts inhabited northeastern Scotland during the late Roman and early medieval periods.
- Their identity is elusive—most knowledge comes from Roman and British sources, as little written by the Picts survives.
- The Picts likely emerged as distinct due to fragmented tribes (like the Caledoni and Vacomagi) uniting in response to Roman threats.
- The term Pict comes from the Latin picti (meaning “painted ones”), referencing body painting or tattooing, though the specifics—blue woad or red iron ochre—are debated.
- At its peak, "Pictland" extended from Fife to Caithness and perhaps included parts of the Isles.
Quote:
“Deciphering who they were and where they came from is a fiendish exercise. Very little that the Picts wrote down about themselves has survived the rigors of time.”
— Tristan Hughes, [03:00]
2. Life and Power at Pictish Hillforts
[05:30–14:47]
- Focus on East Lomond Hill (Falkland Hill), a strategic site with panoramic views and vital for controlling trade.
- Archaeologist Prof. Gordon Noble explains that hillforts were rare documented places, central to Pictish power, though lowland farmsteads likely existed but have not survived as well.
- Archaeology sheds light on daily life through relics: evidence shows both arable agriculture and animal husbandry (cattle, pig, sheep).
- Finds include gaming pieces (e.g., for board games), agricultural tools, weapons—suggesting vibrant, possibly wealthy communities with diverse activities.
- The settlement evolved over centuries, with complex enclosures (nuclear hillforts) emerging over time.
Quotes:
“Hillforts do appear as reference places, which is very, very unusual and rare for this time period... The classic view is that hillforts are really central to power and governance.”
— Prof. Gordon Noble, [08:47]“We’re gradually building up a view of the Pictish economy... agricultural, animal economy, and elements of hunting and fishing. They’re also playing board games...”
— Prof. Gordon Noble, [12:05]
3. Relations with Rome
[17:17–20:17]
- East Lomond sits near the ancient Roman frontier; while direct Roman contact waned after the Antonine Wall period, connections remained.
- Roman artifacts, especially pottery (Nene Valley, Oxfordshire Ware), found at Pictish sites, suggest trade—or possibly ‘loot’.
- In the 5th–6th centuries, amphorae from the eastern Mediterranean appear, highlighting long-distance contacts and high-status exchanges.
- Only a handful of Scottish sites have such imports, marking East Lomond as elite.
Quote:
“There’s some sort of connection there, whether those are gifts in terms of fine tableware and foodstuffs—or this is stuff the Picts… are gaining through raiding…”
— Prof. Gordon Noble, [17:32]
4. Symbol Stones and Material Culture
[20:17–25:41]
- Pictish symbol stones are iconic; examples near East Lomond include bull carvings and class 1 symbol stones (sometimes repurposed in later buildings).
- Recent discoveries include a unique carved stone "face" resembling manuscript illustrations.
- A significant find: a rare bronze “spearbutt” (doorknob speartype), identified through its similarity to images on symbol stones. Its presence offers context to date carvings and understand weaponry.
- Rituals or deliberate burials may explain the placement of such objects.
Quotes:
“That’s what’s exciting—when we can piece [objects] together with the evolution of that site through time… just shows you that this was quite a wealthy community.”
— Prof. Gordon Noble, [13:20]“The Romans talk about the Caledoni, predecessors of the Picts, having a spear butt that looked like a globe… almost a kind of psychological warfare.”
— Prof. Gordon Noble, [22:41]
5. Warrior Culture
[25:41–27:17]
- Warfare and prowess were vital to Pictish society and leadership, as with other early medieval British and Irish societies.
- Spears were depicted more often than swords, and most actual weapons may have been lost due to burial customs (unlike Anglo-Saxon England).
Quote:
“They were warrior kingdoms, they were warrior cultures. Prowess on the battlefield was certainly something that was factored into leadership and kingship in this time period.”
— Prof. Gordon Noble, [25:49]
6. Direct Evidence: The Vital Role of Archaeology
[28:49–29:45]
- Most knowledge about the Picts comes from outsiders (Romans, Bede, Irish annals); archaeological finds offer the only direct window into everyday Pictish life.
Quote:
“That’s why archaeological evidence is so important… this allows us to illuminate the lives of everyday people, whether they be high status or not.”
— Prof. Gordon Noble, [29:09]
7. Metalworking, Silver Hoards, and the Economy
[29:45–46:12]
- East Lomond shows evidence of extensive metalworking: iron, bronze, silver. Metal finds show specialization and the site's industrial complexity.
- Roman hacksilver hoards, especially the Norrie’s Law Hoard, are key to understanding wealth, trade, and status in Pictish society.
- Dr. Martin Goldberg explains that silver arm rings (unique to two hoards) may have acted as “protocurrency”.
- Pictish artwork—especially enigmatic symbols—adorns silver and stone, acting as a form of literacy or communication.
- The silver artifacts fill a ‘dark age’ gap between late Roman and early medieval written sources, offering insights into both economic and political life.
Quotes:
“The Norrie’s Law hoard is a collection of hacksilver… recent work has allowed us to redate it… much closer to the late Roman world.”
— Dr. Martin Goldberg, [32:31]“The Pictish symbols... are a form of communication that is unique to the Picts... They’re not creating an alphabetic script, so the Pictish symbols retain this sort of enigmatic quality because we haven’t yet deciphered them.”
— Dr. Martin Goldberg, [36:28]“They help us fill that gap—those couple of centuries where the historical sources aren’t actually telling us anything. So these are like new historical documents.”
— Dr. Martin Goldberg, [35:30]
8. Silver Chains and Women’s Status
[41:56–45:11]
- Unique massive silver chains (often called "Pictish chains") predominantly found in southern Scotland, near or in contact zones.
- Recent research points to these being worn by adolescents or women—not warriors.
- Chains may reflect high-status women or matrilineal practices, or broader alliance and kinship relations.
Quote:
“Regardless of the size of the link of the chain, there is a pretty common size, diameter of the neck... much smaller... probably worn by either adolescents or women.”
— Dr. Martin Goldberg, [43:21]
9. Symbol Stones as Power and Communication
[46:12–48:28]
- The proliferation of symbol stones reflects the importance of monumental literacy and power signaling in Pictish society.
- These symbols likely enabled intra-group communication and identity, even if their meaning remains undeciphered.
Quote:
“The Pictish symbols are doing something distinctive in northern Britain… communicating in a way that the Picts would have understood… We just haven’t deciphered it yet.”
— Dr. Martin Goldberg, [47:12]
10. Conclusion: The Lasting Mystery & Legacy of the Picts
[48:35–End]
- The Picts’ story is pieced together from fragments—stones, silver hoards, hillforts, and artifacts.
- While their reputation as wild warriors lingers from hostile sources, their material culture reveals artistry, organization, and far-reaching connections.
- The legacy of the Picts endures in Scotland’s landscape, its ancient art, and the sense of mystery that still surrounds them.
Quote:
“The story of the Picts is not one of complete darkness nor total clarity. It’s a tale told in fragments, carved into stone, buried in hoards, and echoed in the contours of ancient hill forts like East Lomond and Burghead.”
— Tristan Hughes, [48:35]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Pictish Sites and Their Evolution:
“To have a site like this where you have deep stratigraphy with structures and buildings represented through four or five centuries... that’s an amazing evidence base to work on.”
— Prof. Gordon Noble, [10:19] -
On the Discovery of the Spearbutt:
“If we created a checklist of things we’d like to find on this kind of site, that was definitely one of them.”
— Prof. Gordon Noble, [23:52] -
On Silver Chains and Gender:
“These objects are probably worn by either adolescents or women… as soon as you make that realization, yes, you want to reconsider the historical narrative that has talked about matrilinear succession and things like that.”
— Dr. Martin Goldberg, [43:21–44:10]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 01:32 – Introduction and scene-setting at East Lomond
- 08:47 – Interview: Prof. Gordon Noble on hillforts and settlements
- 12:05 – Pictish agriculture, diet, pastimes (gaming pieces)
- 17:17 – Relations and trade with Rome
- 20:27 – Symbol stones and unique artifacts (including "Bart Simpson" face)
- 21:45 – The bronze spearbutt: discovery, context, and war culture
- 29:09 – The role of archaeology and direct evidence
- 32:31 – Interview: Dr. Martin Goldberg on the Norrie’s Law Hoard
- 36:28 – Pictish symbols as a unique undeciphered script
- 41:56 – Silver chains, gender, and kinship practices
- 46:25 – Symbol stones as monumental literacy
- 48:35 – Episode wrap-up and summary reflections
Final Thoughts
This episode offers an immersive, up-to-date exploration of the Picts, emphasizing the interplay between archaeology and ancient history, and bringing to life the complexity and richness of a people too long shrouded in “barbarian” myth. For listeners, it is a vivid journey through Scotland’s ancient wildlands, packed with discoveries that continue to reshape our understanding of the islands’ mysterious rulers of the north.