The Modern Antiquarian. Stone Circles, Ancient Sites, Neolithic Monuments, Ancient Monuments, Prehistoric Sites, Megalithic MysteriesThe Modern Antiquarian

Barevan

Cup and Ring Marks / Rock Art

Link

Highland Historical Environment Record


This doesn't look too promising when you initially open it, but scroll down and you'll see a collection of documents that relate to the site. You'll see that in 1880 a Mr Jolly found lots of the grave slabs here were covered in cup marks. There are detailed drawings.

Could they be real or was he having one of those over-enthusiastic moments? And to add to the mystery, a visitor in 1965 couldn't find any of the slabs at all, let alone the cupmarks. Are they under the grass or taken away somewhere, were they not looking properly and the slabs there but the cups imagined? There are seemingly quite good descriptions of the location of the stones for anyone who wants to visit and search.

The current site record on the RCAHMS webpages mentions two bronze age axes that were found buried at the site, over a foot deep. Which is quite interesting.

And there are also two bits of stoney folklore associated with the site - a medieval stone 'coffin' that ne'erdowells had to lie in while someone stuck a lid on the top for a few hours, and an 18 stone? granite ball, used for showing off your strength (these are described at the end of the document).
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
27th March 2012ce
Edited 27th March 2012ce

Comments (2)

Jolly had written an article for PSAS about marked rocks in the Highlands and it shows he knew what he was talking about so I would give hin the benefit of the doubt . tiompan Posted by tiompan
27th March 2012ce
Excellent. Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
27th March 2012ce
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