Scotland boasts over 3,000 prehistoric carved rocks, with the majority of them “cup and ring markings” – abstract motifs created by striking the rock’s surface with stone tools.
The earliest known animal carvings to date in Scotland, thought to be between 4,000 and 5,000 years old, have been found in an ancient burial site at Dunchraigaig Cairn, Argyll, says the Historic Environment Scotland (HES).
The underside of a massive stone slab which tops an Early Bronze age stack of rocks at the site managed by HES displays five carvings of animals, including two stags with huge antlers. The other images are thought to show younger deer, HES said.
Hamish Fenton, who has a background in archaeology, made the discovery while visiting Kilmartin Glen, known for several ancient remains dating back to the Neolithic and Bronze Age, including some of the clearest cup and ring markings.
The majority of Scotland’s 3,000 or so prehistoric rock carvings have abstract concentric ring designs, known as cup and ring markings. According to Barnett, the discovery may dispel the assumption that prehistoric rock art in Britain is predominantly geometric.
Deer was a valuable source of meat and hides for prehistoric man, while their antlers were used for crafting tools.
According Fenton who made the discovery, he was passing Dunchraigaig Cairn at dusk when he caught a glimpse of the burial chamber in the rock pile. As he shone his torch inside, he noticed a pattern on the underside of the slab.
The archeological find has led experts to wonder if there are more animal carvings “waiting to be uncovered in the future.”
Sourse: sputniknews.com
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