My previous reconstructions of the Iron age lyre bridge discovered by archaeologists at Uamh an Ard Achaidh (Skye Pasture Cave) on the Isle of Skye, have interpreted the broken fragment as having only 3 string positions, framed by 4 pyramids along the top of the lyre.
However, it is possible that the flat shoulder on the surviving half of the bridge represents the broken off base of two more pyramids. If this were repeated on the missing other half, that would give a total of eight pyramids with seven string positions.
This week I made a bridge following this plan. I used a piece of yew wood from near St Andrews.
I’ll have both interpretations of the Skye lyre bridge as well as complete student lyres on my Emporium stand at the Edinburgh Harp Festival next week.
