Interpretations

Carnasserie Rock Art Excavation 2023

Intepreting the findings

Overall, the outcomes of the project were very successful. Each site revealed a fascinating story that spans millennia, from geological and glacial processes to post-medieval quarrying.

Rock Art Site 1 

Excavation at Rock Art Site 1 uncovered the full extent of the carvings, which are grouped in a distinct cluster. Like other rock art, these carvings show a close relationship with the natural features of the rock surface and are carefully framed on either side of a natural crack. Site 1 features the most intricate motifs known on the hillside, and its location may not be coincidental—it has views towards significant nearby monuments, including two massive funerary cairns and a pair of standing stones. Additionally, it overlooks a major junction between routeways at the head of Kilmartin Glen and is within sight and sound of a waterfall.

We were intrigued by an artificially 'scalloped' edge that had not been created using metal tools. Due to its weathered appearance, geologist Dr. Roger Anderton deemed it to be of significant antiquity. This finding is intriguing, as this modification appears to respect, and perhaps even enhance, the shape of the carving. A substantial volume of rock had been removed, but further investigation is needed to determine whether this area served as a quarry, potentially for cist slabs or even a standing stone. A split stone, possibly a hammerstone, was found in the cavity left behind after the rock was extracted. This site was discovered by the landowner during winter light, and two quartz hammerstones were found in a fissure beside the carving.

Rock Art Site 2

Site 2 is inconspicuous but has a character that is very different from Site 1. A trench was dug around the known concentration of cup marks, which are larger and shallower compared to others on the hillside. Pieces of broken quartz were collected, and a cup and ring, two partial rings, and a groove were added to the existing record. The freshly exposed surface emphasised how the carvings fit into a preexisting pattern of linear cracks that, like Achnabreck, align toward the winter sunset.

Site 2’s large and shallow cup marks set it apart from the other panels, showing closer parallels with broad cups, single rings, and dumbbells found on Bronze Age standing stones and cist slabs in the Kilmartin area. This connection to nearby monuments is intriguing since some deliberately enhanced natural hollows resemble irregular markings on the cist lid at Nether Largie North, which excavator James Hewat Craw interpreted as representations of artefacts.

One deliberately enhanced intersection between two natural hollows at Site 2 is reminiscent of a hafted artefact, and close examination revealed that its interior had been repeatedly pecked using a hammerstone. Although this is more ambiguous than the representations of metal axeheads found at three cairns in Kilmartin’s linear cemetery, the proximity of this panel to some of the very few monuments in Britain and Ireland that feature both cup marks and depictions of artefacts raises curiosity. Could these characteristics imply a Bronze Age chronology for the acts of mark-making at Site 2?

Rock Art Site 3 

Site 3 is a more upstanding outcrop. A sloping panel in a precarious location above a small cliff displays several cup marks, while farther back from the edge are twenty or more closely set cups, one of which has a ring. A trench was opened between the two groups of carvings, but no artefacts or additional carvings were found.

A second trench at the foot of the outcrop revealed a layer of closely set stones placed upon bedrock, indicating evidence of medieval or post-medieval quarrying. Beneath these stones, a quartz chunk and a split quartz flake were discovered, interpreted as broken fragments of a hammerstone. Two of the pieces were found deep within an angular crevice, reminiscent of intentionally placed deposits seen at other sites in Scotland, including Torbhlaren.

Site 3 is part of a distinctive elongated outcrop marked in several areas with carvings. A parallel outcrop to the east includes a small rock shelter marked with a cup and ring. Together, these enhanced rock features outline what could be described as a monumental routeway or avenue leading from the excavated sites toward a prominent mound on the skyline. Excavations by Kilmartin Museum in 2015 found that the summit of the mound, itself an enhanced natural feature, was marked with a cist burial.

The Bigger Picture

While the density of worked quartz at Carnasserie was modest compared to the assemblages found at Torbhlaren and Ormaig, we were able to demonstrate that the rock art there was also created using quartz hammerstones. This material choice is distinctive, as its semi-translucent crystals sparkle in the light and, under certain conditions, emit the eerie glow known as triboluminescence.

Site 3 is part of a distinctive rib of rock that extends across the hillside, aligned northeast/southwest. It is marked in several places by discrete clusters of cup marks. A parallel outcrop to the east features a small rock shelter containing a cup and ring. Together, these augmented rock features may delineate a monumental routeway, or avenue, aligned with the winter sun and leading toward a prominent mound on the skyline. Excavations conducted by Kilmartin Museum in 2015 revealed that the summit of this mound, an enhanced natural feature, contained a cist burial.

Further Work

Further fieldwork is necessary to build upon this initial study and explore these possibilities. It would be valuable to expand the excavated areas to determine whether there are structures or evidence of activities at a greater distance from the carvings and to investigate the extent of ancient stone extraction at Site 1—was this the quarry for a standing stone or cist slabs?

We also need to delve deeper into the relationship between geological and cultural features. This includes examining the decorated linear outcrops and rock shelter that define a routeway between sites, as well as more discrete features that resemble standing stones. Were these natural sites treated in special ways?

A remarkable quality of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments is not only how they celebrate spectacular connections between people, land, and sky, but also how they continue to inspire and influence us today. Many observations and ideas I shared earlier emerged from animated discussions with our community of fieldworkers, many of whom had never practised archaeology before. As they walked and worked in this landscape, they recognized how their own experiences were ultimately shaped by symbols and structures created thousands of years ago.

In turn, our collective efforts have contributed a new chapter to the evolving story of these fascinating and enigmatic places.