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BALNUARIN OF CLAVA NE KERB

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Canmore ID 14257 SCRAP ID 3042
Location OS Grid Ref: NH 75774 44484 Team Not in team
Existing Classifications None.
Date Fieldwork Started 08/11/2018 Date Fieldwork Completed
New Panel? Yes  

Section A. CORE INFORMATION

A1. Identifiers

Panel Name BALNUARIN OF CLAVA NE KERB Number
Other names BALNUARAN
HER/SMR SM Number Other
Classifications And Periods
Classification 1 Cup And Ring Marked Stone Period 1 Neol/bronze Age
Classification 2 Chambered Cairn Period 2 Neol/bronze Age
Classification 3 Stone Circle Period 3 Neol/bronze Age
County
INVERNESS-SHIRE

A2. Grid Reference(original find site)

OS NGR
New OS NGR NH 75774 44484
Lat/Long 57.47354 -4.0731
Obtained By: Mobile Phone

A3. Current Location & Provenance

Located
  • Moved from original location
  • Re-used in structure
other Kerbstone in cairn
Accession no. Not given

Section B. CONTEXT

B1. Landscape Context

Weather Cloudy
Position in landscape Bottom of hill
Topography(terrain within about 500m of panel.) Flat
Aspect of slope (if on sloping terrain e.g. S, SE etc.)

B2. Current land use & vegetation

  • Conservation
Other:HES site

B3. Forestry

  • No selection

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

  • Other rock art
  • Burial Mound/Cairn
  • Stone Circle
  • Standing Stone

B5. Location Notes

The panel is part of the complex of monuments at Clava ('Clava cairns'), well known and much frequented by visitors, with a car park and interpretation. It is located on a level river terrace to the SE of the river Nairn, in the flat bottom of the SW to NE valley. The panel itself is a kerbstone on the N edge of the NE Cairn at Balnuarin of Clava, and stands out because although similar in size to the other kerbstones it is a darker redder colour and has many deep and distinct cups. There is a hollow immediately in front of it where visitors have scraped away the earth. This panel is referenced in Canmore 14257 (Balnuaran-of-clava-north-east).

Section C. PANEL

C1. Panel Type

In a structure Burial monument

C2. Panel Dimensions, Slope & Orientation

Dimensions of panel (m to one decimal place)
Length (longer axis) 1.1 Width 0.6
Height (max) Height (min)
Approximate slope of carved surface
80 degrees degrees
Orientation (Aspect e.g. NW)
Rock Surface N Carved Surface N Carved Surface

C3. Rock Surface

Surface Compactness Friable Grain Size Fine Visible Anomalies Not Visible
 Rock Type Sandstone

C4. Surface Features

  • Bedding Planes
  • Smooth Surface

C5. Panel Notes

The panel is a rounded but flat-faced sandstone boulder 1.1m by 0.6m. 42 cups are visible, fairly evenly spaced and of varying depths, covering the whole surface. In addition, near one end is 1 cup with a partial ring. Clear curving grooves partition the panel into 3 main sections. The grooves all appear to start at the edge of the panel and move inwards, terminating without crossing the panel completely. Two grooves terminate in cups, and one cup is crossed. One of the grooves leads into the cup within the partial ring. The grooves and cups are sharp, clear and unworn and show distinct toolmarks. There is a groove around the edge of much of the panel, following the natural bedding planes in the rock. The panel is one of the ring of outer kerbstones of the NE cairn, at the N edge. No cup marks have been found on any other of the outer kerbstones of this cairn. Part of the panel is below the current ground surface. Canmore 14257 includes a photo from 1931 of the whole panel when recently excavated. Note that Canmore 14279 (SW Cairn) wrongly also includes the same photo.

C6. Probability

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

Comments

No comments added

C7. MOTIFS

Cupmark
cupmark_1 cupmark_5
39 2
Cup and Rings
cup_and_ring_5
1
Groove
groove_1 groove_6
3 3

Visible Tool Marks? Yes

Visible Peck Marks? Yes

Section D. ACCESS, AWARENESS & RISK

D1. Access

  • Right to Roam access.
  • Access is managed by a national organisation.

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
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

Large numbers of visitors come to this site. This particular panel appears to get lot of attention from visitors who come to experience the spiritual and mystical as well as archaeological. There is some digging, and ash (possibly from cremations) in front of the panel, and 'offerings' are sometimes deposited on the cairn by visitors.