Rock Art Database

CAIRNBAAN 4

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Canmore ID 39575 SCRAP ID 2004
Location OS Grid Ref: NR 83880 91051 Team Not in team
Existing Classifications
Classification Period
CUP AND RING MARKED ROCK PREHISTORIC
Date Fieldwork Started 21/07/2019 Date Fieldwork Completed
New Panel? No  

Section A. CORE INFORMATION

A1. Identifiers

Panel Name CAIRNBAAN Number 4
Other names
HER/SMR SM Number SM13211 Other PIC056
Classifications And Periods
Classification 1 Cup And Ring Marked Rock Period 1 Neol/bronze Age
County
ARGYLL

A2. Grid Reference(original find site)

OS NGR NR 83870 91060
New OS NGR NR 83880 91051
Lat/Long 56.06333 -5.4732
Obtained By: GPS

A3. Current Location & Provenance

Located
  • At original location
Accession no. Not given

Section B. CONTEXT

B1. Landscape Context

Weather Light Rain
Position in landscape Hillside
Topography(terrain within about 500m of panel.) Sloping
Aspect of slope (if on sloping terrain e.g. S, SE etc.) E

B2. Current land use & vegetation

  • Rough Grazing

B3. Forestry

  • No selection

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

  • Other rock art

B5. Location Notes

The panel is located at the base of a gentle E facing slope on the W edge of a flat area roughly 35x25m that is bounded to the N, W and S by sloping land, forming a natural amphitheatre. The panel is in a grassy, cleared area surrounded by bracken, with mixed sliver birch and fir trees to the N, W and S. There are clears views to the E across the S end of Kilmartin Glen to Achnabrek in forestry on the opposite side of the valley, and to the SE to Cowal. The cluster of carved panels (Cairnbaan 1-3, Canmore 39586) are situated about 70m to the E, through a metal gate in a stone wall which lies 40m to the E. Other caved panels at Dunamuck Cottage (ScRAP 805 and 1725, Canmore 312122 and 88647) lie about 120-150m to the NE. Crinan Canal is situated about 200m to the S but is not visible.

Previous Notes

NR89SW 2 8387 9106. (NM 8387 9105) Inscribed Rock (NR) OS 6" map (1900) Cups, cup-and-rings, and some gutters, on a sheet of rock. M Campbell and M Sandeman 1964; D Christison 1904 Cup and ring marked rock as described and planned by above. Visited by OS (DWR) 1 May 1973 NR 8388 9106. No change to the previous information. Surveyed at 1/10,000. Visited by OS (BS) 1 April 1977 In open moorland 100 m W of (NR89SW 3) there is a rock-sheet, flush with the surface of the ground, on which there is a complex series of markings, the most distinctive of which are a number of conjoined multiple-ringed cups. Six of these are surrounded by four rings, one by three rings, seven by two rings, and eight by single rings; several of the ringed cups have gutters. In addition, there are at least fifteen plain cups and stretches of wandering grooves. An unusual mark lies at bottom right of the outcrop; it is badly weathered, but appears to comprise a broad shallow cup surrounded by a single ring which is linked to the cup by a series of rays (Morris 1977). Visited June 1985 RCAHMS 1988

Section C. PANEL

C1. Panel Type

In the landscape Outcrop

C2. Panel Dimensions, Slope & Orientation

Dimensions of panel (m to one decimal place)
Length (longer axis) 3.2 Width 2.5
Height (max) 0 Height (min) 0
Approximate slope of carved surface
10 degrees degrees
Orientation (Aspect e.g. NW)
Rock Surface E Carved Surface E Carved Surface

C3. Rock Surface

Surface Compactness Hard Grain Size Medium Visible Anomalies Not Visible
Rock Type Schist

C4. Surface Features

  • Fissures/cracks
  • Natural Hollows

C5. Panel Notes

This roughly rectangular area of exposed schist bedrock, measuring about 3.2x2.5m, is flush with the ground and slopes gently to the E in line with the natural incline of the terrain. The surface is textured by natural pitting, and segmented by numerous fissures running across and longitudinally down the panel. At the E end of the panel, the fissures create a series of triangular shapes. The surface is covered with multiple cup and ring motifs and grooves, as well as cupmarks, and a rare possible star motif. Several motifs are interconnected, and there are at least two cases of superimposition or phased production. Most of the carvings are arranged within the spaces defined by natural fissures, and several grooves lead into fissures. The main area of carving is situated on the SW section of the panel, with fewer motifs on the N edge.

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
5 1
Cup and Rings
cup_and_ring_1 cup_and_ring_2 cup_and_ring_4 cup_and_ring_6
4 5 1 1
Partial Ring
partial_ring_arc_3
1
Radial
radial_1 radial_7 radial_4
4 2 1
Groove
groove_1 groove_6
3 1
Other carvings and motifs
other_motif_5
1

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
  • Water will pool deeply on parts of the surface.
  • Large amounts of water are likely to flow over the carved surface.
Animal
Human
  • The rock is located on/nearby a path or place where people might walk.
Comments and other potential threats

No comments added