A relic dug up during the last archaeological excavation of the lost Bishop`s Palace near Kemnay has been identified as a rare seal from a 17th-century bottle.
The point from this summer`s dig at Fetternear is a part of Piermont Water glassware dating from around 1690.
The stamp is a souvenir from the peak of Fetternear House sooner than from the ancient palace site uncovered nearby.
The digging of mediaeval remains under the cause of the ruined mansion began in 1995 when evidence found by Dr Penny Dransart from the University of Wales Lampeter and the late Nicholas Bogdan from Barra, near Oldmeldrum, made Fetternear a place of international significance.
Over the years annual digs revealed remains of the late summer palace of the thirteenth and 14th-century bishops of Aberdeen, and what Fife-based archaeologist and glass specialist Robin Murdoch of Balmerino confirmed is the largest assemblage of ice from any Scottish excavation site.
This year`s 16th and final dig turned up more items to add to the range of ancient window and historic bottle glass, including the ornate seal.
Ms Dransart said: "I tended to take most of the bottles and drink glasses were for wine or ale, but this seal came from a bottle of mineral water.
"It is a really interesting find, and another fascinating piece of the site`s story."
The spelling and central figure of the seal show it came from the Waldeck or River Weser area of Germany, she said.
Ms Dransart added: "The years 1690-1720 coincide with the point when the now-ruined Fetternear House was at its zenith.
Around that time Count Patrick Leslie of Balquhain and his second wife Mary Irvine of Drum had converted the pillar house into a lordly mansion, one of the large treasure houses of Scotland.
Fetternear House remained a Leslie family home until 1919 when it was ruined by flak and just the case of the building remained.
Author: Alistair Beaton | Source: The Pressure and Journal [September 18, 2010]
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