Goose Salmon Stone

In "The Reliquary & Illustrated Archaeologist, July 1895", in the chapter entitled "Discovery of an Ancient Burial Place and a Symbol-Bearing Slab at Easterton of Roseisle" (page 142), we can read this: 

At the end of April, 1895, a still further discovery was made, for, on removing the symbol -bearing slab from the grave, we observed that it was a square sea-beach stone much water worn, and without mark of any tool on it. On the outer side or back of the stone were cut two figures, viz., a bird, either a goose or duck, with webbed feet, and a salmon...

Here is the illustration from the book showing the stone...

And here is a photo of the stone, now in National Museum of Scotland...

A very interesting stone indeed...Why is it decorated with a depiction of a goose and a salmon? 

Ever heard of animal calendar markers? 

Well, this is one, marking Oct/Nov...

Here is why...

In Oct/Nov, huge flocks of pink-footed geese arrive to Scotland from Northern Europe...They spend winter in Scotland and leave in Mar/Apr...More about pink-footed gees in Scotland can be found here...

In Oct/Nov, huge shoals of salmon arrive to Scotland and run up the Scottish rivers to their spawning grounds. This is the best time to see salmon leaping in Scotland...Mora about salmon in Scotland can be found here...

Both are hugely important annual events which happen at the same time, every year, and are not easily missed, if you are a hunter gatherer whose survival over winter depends on these birds and fishes as food sources... 

So, Oct/Nov, the time when gees and salmon arrive to Scotland...Rejoice, the food is here...🙂

To read more about ancient animal and plant calendar markers, start here…then check the rest of the blog posts related to animal calendar markers I still didn't add to this page, and finally check my twitter threads I still didn't convert to blog post...I am 9 months behind now...