Lismore dig finds major sixth-century monastery, shedding light on Christianity’s spread

Lismore, near Oban in Argyll, has a population of 190. It has no row of shops or even a pub; residents who want to meet for coffee use the Gaelic heritage centre that records centuries of community life. Documentary evidence records a monastic settlement there in the sixth century AD, when missionaries from Ireland were first moving into northern Britain to spread Christianity. Apart from a few fragments of an early carved cross, almost nothing from that period had been visible.

The island’s historical society decided to search more thoroughly. After raising funds from grants, donations, legacies and a crowdfunding campaign, it commissioned Ellis to lead islanders and other volunteers in an excavation at the site of a much later medieval cathedral. The group’s findings included extensive burial grounds, decorated stonework and early buildings, all features of a major sixth-century monastery comparable to the better-known site of Iona to the south-west. Excavations also uncovered rare evidence of slightly later high-status craftworking, including large numbers of crucibles used to cast gold and silver.

According to archaeologists, the finds show that Lios Mór, founded by Saint Mo Luóc or Moluag, was not a small island church in an overlooked backwater but a high-ranking site of international importance. Robert Hay, a retired plant scientist who moved to Lismore in 2001 and coordinated the fundraising and volunteer efforts, described the experience as thrilling. “We were [excavating] in this really unfavourable, boggy area. To be digging out the best small crucibles ever found in Scotland – it’s extraordinary,” he said. “The most exciting moment for me was when they were doing the post-excavation analysis and they found that they had been melting gold, copper, silver, and they were making jewellery on our little island in the seventh century.”

Hay said that while many islanders had an idle interest in history, a “dynamic minority” of mostly older people had provided volunteers and raised the low five-figure sum needed for the digs. He said organising the effort was “just a business of getting down to it and organising and so on” and “actually a lot easier than what my previous job used to be.”

Gordon Noble, professor of archaeology at the University of Aberdeen, said the finds were highly significant. “We know about sites like Iona having these very famous monastic sites from this early medieval world. But apart from the association with Moluag and a piece of sculpture from this site, we knew practically nothing really about Lismore. So it was hugely exciting to see the results emerging through the local group’s work with Clare [Ellis] … This was clearly a really important early Christian establishment.” Noble said professional archaeologists often work with local people, but “it’s not always the community themselves coming up with the ideas. Here, it was very much a bottom-up approach of the heritage society coming up with a plan, working with professionals – and lo and behold, what a great series of discoveries they’ve made at the site.”

Hay said he hoped the finds would help restore the reputation of Moluag, who has long been overshadowed by Saint Columba, founder of Iona and subject of an influential ninth-century biography. “Unfortunately, Moluag never had a hagiographer, so his contribution to the evangelisation of Scotland has been very much underestimated,” he said. “So finding his monastic site and [the evidence of metalworking] – it’s all about recalibrating the situation. I think Moluag had a very big impact on the evangelising of Scotland, but unfortunately, he didn’t get his PR right.” The results of the community excavations will be published in the forthcoming edition of Antiquity.