DISCOVERY OF THE FIRST REPRESENTATIONAL ROCK ART IN SCOTLAND:

The carvings are thought to be 4,000 to 5,000 years old.

Photograph: Santiago Arribas Pena/HES/PA.

While multitudes of cup and ring petroglyphs are known in the British Isles, up until now no representational images had been found in Scotland proper. The images were discovered by accident on the underside of the capstone on the Dunchraigaig cairn in Kilmartin Glen, Argyll. Available descriptions online seemingly vary reporting anywhere from one to three burial cists. “It measures 100’ in diameter and at S a slab 14’ x 8’4” x 1’3” resting on boulder walls to form a cist, 7’6” x 3’2” x 3’6”, which contained several deposits of burnt bones, separated from each other by small rough fragments of stone – the deposits of perhaps 8 or 10 bodies.” (Ordnance Survey 1977)

The layout of the carvings hidden inside Dunchraigaig cairn in Kilmartin Glen. Photograph: Historic Environment Scotland.

The carvings depict two male red deer and another three apparently does or young deer.

“Archaeologists estimate the carvings are between 4,000 and 5,000 years old, a period which spans the Neolithic and early bronze age, and are the first in the UK located alongside prehistoric cup and ring markings found throughout Kilmartin Glen.” (Carrell 2021)

“The deer were found by Hamish Fenton, an amateur archaeologist from Oxfordshire who was visiting the areal, and who was exploring Dunchraigaig cairn, a bronze age burial mound, one evening.” (Carrell 2021)

“After deciding to explore a burial cist on the side of the cairn, he slid inside with a torch. An archaeology graduate from Bournemouth University, Fenton spotted the delicate and unusual markings on the capstone, or cover, of the chamber.” (Carrell 2021)

What Fenton originally thought appeared to be a representation of a laurel wreath (as on a Roman statue) turned out to be the antlers of a stag, one of five deer portrayed in the composition on the underside of the capstone.

Dunchraigaig cairn, Internet photo, public domain.

“The cairn has been cordoned off to allow further surveys and preservation of the chamber, the site’s owners, Historic Environment Scotland, said on Monday. HES said its rock art project has already made detailed 3D scans and digital models of the carvings to allow the faint markings to be properly seen and studied. Dr. Tertia Barnett, the project’s principal investigator, said these were the first prehistoric animal carvings found in Scotland. Their figurative style also contradicted the assumption that British rock art of this date was mainly geometric.” (Carrell 2021)

A discovery that changes major assumptions – well done Hamish.

NOTE: Some images in this posting were retrieved from the internet with a search for public domain photographs. If any of these images are not intended to be public domain, I apologize, and will happily provide the picture credits if the owner will contact me with them. For further information on this report you should read the original report at the site listed below.

See a video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/eR4s80-ggiw

REFERENCES:

Carrell, Severin, 2021, Prehistoric Carvings of Red Deer Found in Scottish Neolithic Tomb, 31 May 2021, https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news

Ordnance Survey, 1977, Dunchraigaig, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Revision Programme, https://canmore.org.uk/site/39455/dunchraigaig