This week’s selection is the Stone of Destiny by Historical Environment Scotland.
The Stone of Destiny might appear to be a weathered old rock, but it has quite a provenance. It is an ancient stone that was used for many centuries in the coronation ceremonies of the Kings of Scotland. That’s why it is also referred to as the “Stone of Scone” or the “Coronation Stone”.
While the stone was normally located in Scotland, English forces seized it in the 13th century and relocated it to London. Since the union of Scotland and England, it has been used in the coronation ceremonies of UK monarchs, but has been relocated to Edinburgh Castle in Scotland.
The stone has quite a history, and more will be added next week during King Charles’ coronation. The stone will be temporarily relocated to Westminster Abbey in London for the ceremony and placed in the coronation chair.
Recently, Historical Environment Scotland has done a significant analysis of the stone, including a very detailed 3D scan. Examination of the scan revealed hidden markings that had not been detected previously, including what appears to be Roman numbers.
Now the 3D model prepared from the scan has been placed for public view on SketchFab. It’s possible to twirl the model around in a 3D view, and see highlights of the discoveries, including the Roman markings.
What is not possible, at least not yet, is the ability to download the 3D model for printing. SketchFab users have to mark models as “downloadable”, and regrettably, Historical Environment Scotland has not decided to do so for reasons unknown.
Until they do, you’ll have to make do with the visual representation only.
