Rock Art Database

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Section A. CORE INFORMATION

A1. Identifiers

Classifications And Periods

County

WIGTOWNSHIRE

A2. Grid Reference(original find site)

A3. Current Location & Provenance

Section B. CONTEXT

B1. Landscape Context

B2. Current land use & vegetation

• Improved Pasture
• Rough Grazing
• Conservation

B3. Forestry

• No selection

B4. Archaeological Features within 200m / or visible from the panel

• Other rock art

B5. Location Notes

Drumtroddan 8 is part of a group of cup-and-ring marked rocks (Drumtroddan 8 - 13) located within a fenced-off area in a field approximately 200m S of Drumtroddan Farm. Further rock art panels are located within a similarly fenced-off enclosure approximately 20m to the SE (Drumtroddan 1 – 4), and within a wooded area approximately 70m to the W (Drumtroddan 5 – 7). Drumtroddan 8-13 are part of the same Canmore ID (62751) and HER record (MDG2423) and, together with the panels in the other fenced-off enclosure and within the wooded area, are included within the same scheduled monument designation (SM90101), and are properties in care. The two enclosures within the field are part of a large area of outcropping rock. There are views in all directions, and particularly to the N, E and W, with the Galloway hills visible in the distance to the NE. Drumtroddan standing stones (Canmore ID: 62762) are approximately 400m to the S. The enclosure within which Drumtroddan 8 is located, measures approximately 8m x 16m. All the panels within this group are found on a single area of exposed outcrop ridge running broadly NW-SE certain parts of which are turf-covered. Drumtroddan 8 is located closest to the entrance to the enclosure at the SE end of the grouping. Drumtroddan 9 lies approximately 0.3m to its N and Drumtroddan 10 a further 0.8m to the N. Drumtroddan 11 is 0.9 m to the W of Drumtroddan 8, with panels 12 and 13 further towards the NW end of the ridge.

Previous Notes

NX34SE 1 centred 36260 44739 NX 3626 4473: situated 200m S of Drumtroddan farm, inside the NW of two small fenced enclosures are scattered a number of greywacke outcrops, quite close together. Many of them bear much-weathered carvings, all on areas sloping 25 degrees or less. They cover about 11m by 10m and rise at most to about 1m above ground level. While there are probably more, Morris has noted: 84 cups-and-rings, the number of rings varying from 1 to 6. Some rings are complete, others incomplete or gapped. Some have a radial groove from the cup or a ring, others have none. There are also at least 65 cups (some possibly ringed) and some connecting grooves. Greatest diameter: 38cm; carving depths up to 2cm. F R Coles 1903; F R Coles 1906; RCAHMS 1912; L McL Mann 1915; R W B Morris and D C Bailey 1967; R W B Morris 1967; F R Paturi 1976; R W Feachem 1977; R W B Morris 1979. Surveyed at 1:2500 scale. Visited by OS January 1973.

Section C. PANEL

C1. Panel Type

C2. Panel Dimensions, Slope & Orientation

C3. Rock Surface

C4. Surface Features

• Fissures/cracks
• Natural Hollows

C5. Panel Notes

Drumtroddan 8 is a large area of exposed greywacke, part of a grouping of panels on the same outcrop, and measures 3.9 x 2m and rises to 0.9m at its highest. The panel has two main sections: one section forms lies to the W, largely flush with the ground, slightly sloping to the N, and partially covered in turf, particularly on its W side. The other section lies to the E, slightly separate from the rest of the panel, and is in the form of an upstanding area of rock with a flat surface. In the E section, there is a cup-with-three-rings lying in a central part of the panel, from which extend two gutters running to two individual cup-and-single-rings. Another cup-and-three-rings is located towards the panel's S edge, again with a gutter running from it towards the edge of the panel. There is a further cup-and-single ring, and three (possibly four) single cups. When viewed, the ring section of the central cup-and-three rings motif had been scratched, apparently in an attempt to make the design more visible. In the W section, on the S (upper) part there is one cup-and-three-rings, which is partially truncated by the edge of the panel, together with five cup-and two-rings motifs connected by channels meandering between them. There is also a cup-and-ring motif and a single cup. In the N (lower) part of the W section, there is a cup-and-four rings lying at the W edge of the panel, and two cup-and-three-ring motifs further to the N. In addition there are two cup-and-two rings (one of which has a truncated outer ring), four cup and single ring motifs and seven (possibly up to ten) single cups.

C6. Probability

The probability that there is any rock art on the panel is Definite

Comments

four of the cupmarks noted may be natural

C7. MOTIFS

Visible Tool Marks? No

Visible Peck Marks? No

Section D. ACCESS, AWARENESS & RISK

D1. Access

• Right to Roam access.
• Panel is on Private land.
• Access is managed by a national organisation.
• There is and interpretation on site.

D2. Awareness

• Panel was known before the project.
• This panel is known to others in the local community.

There are stories or folk traditions associated with this panel No

D3. Risk

Natural

• No selection

Animal

• There are cattle near the rock.

Human

• The rock is located on/nearby a path or place where people might walk.
• The rock is in an area with visitor facilities.

Comments and other potential threats

There are cattle in the field, but the panels are protected by fencing. The panel is a Property in Care, in the care of Historic Environment Scotland. There are some visitor facilities, including parking within the farmyard and an interpretation panel in one of the enclosures.