St Columba’s cell on Iona revealed by archaeologists

Archaeologists from the University of Glasgow have uncovered conclusive evidence that a wooden hut traditionally associated with St Columba at the monastery on the island of Iona does indeed date to his lifetime in the late sixth century AD. Carbon dating has led to the significant breakthrough, which categorically proves samples of hazel charcoal, unearthed from an excavation of a simple wattle and timber structure on Iona 60 years ago, dates back to the exact period Columba lived and worked at the Inner Hebridean monastery. It may be the monk's 'cell' where he prayed and studied in isolation. The samples, excavated in 1957 by British archaeologist Professor Charles Thomas, were kept in his garage in Cornwall, preserved in matchboxes, until 2012 when they were given to Historic Scotland (now Historic Environment Scotland). A University of Glasgow team of archaeologists identified the significance of the finds and recently submitted the samples for carbon dating. Archaeologists uncover evidence of St Columba on Iona St Columba, known in Gaelic as Colum Cille 'the dove of the Church', is widely revered as a key figure who brought Christianity to Scotland from Ireland, landing on Iona in AD 563. In the 'Life of St Columba', written 100 years after his death by his successor Adomnán, he described Columba writing in his cell on a rocky hillock, called Tòrr an Aba or 'the mound of the abbot', within the monastery looking out his door towards the mountains of Mull.