A PICTISH stone discovered by road workers has helped archaeologists shed light on Scotland’s ancient warriors.

The monolith, which is nearly two metres high, depicts a male figure carrying a spear and was found during ground clearance work in Perth.

Archaeologists have spent months analysing images and believe it could be a sacred icon from a “cemetery of the elite” in Pictish times.

Researchers said the “significant find”, named the Tulloch Stone, could indicate the existence of a warrior-led society.

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When the stone was found near McDiarmid Park in 2017, the outline of the figure could be seen but the carving was faint in places and the surface damaged.

Aberdeen University archaeologists created 3D images from thousands of photographs, clarifying the design to enable to comparison with other ancient monoliths.

The university’s head of archaeology Professor Gordon Noble said the find “bridges a crucial gap in knowledge”, adding: “We believe that the weapon-bearing individuals shown on these stones may represent a war-oriented social organisation that was integral to resisting the Roman Empire and to creating the overtly hierarchical societies of the post-Roman period.”