Prehistoric animal carvings found for the first time in Scotland

Prehistoric animal carvings found for the first time in Scotland

Prehistoric animal carvings thought to be thousands of years old have been found for the first time in Scotland.

Prehistoric animal carvings found for the first time in Scotland
Historic Environment Scotland has said there are deer carvings visible on this rock

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) said the carvings – thought to be between 4,000 and 5,000 years old – were discovered inside Dunchraigaig Cairn in Kilmartin Glen, Argyll.

They are thought to date to the Neolithic or Early Bronze Age and include images of deer. Hamish Fenton, who has an archaeology background, found them by chance.

Kilmartin Glen is viewed as one of the most important concentrations of Neolithic and Bronze Age remains in mainland Scotland.

Valuable as sources of meat, hides, and with bones and antlers used for a variety of tools, HES said deer would have been very important to local communities at the time.

Historic Environment Scotland has created a graphic to show where the animals can be seen on the rock
Two stags can be seen with large antlers

Dr Tertia Barnett, the principal investigator for Scotland’s Rock Art Project at HES, said: “It was previously thought that prehistoric animal carvings of this date didn’t exist in Scotland, although they are known in parts of Europe.

“So it is very exciting that they have now been discovered here for the first time in the historic Kilmartin Glen.

“This extremely rare discovery completely changes the ᴀssumption that prehistoric rock art in Britain was mainly geometric and non-figurative.”

Dr Barnett said there were a few other prehistoric carvings of deer in the UK, but the only others created in the Early Bronze Age were “very schematic”.

“It is remarkable that these carvings in Dunchraigaig Cairn show such great anatomical detail and there is no doubt about which animal species they represent.”

Mr Fenton said he had been pᴀssing the cairn at dusk when he noticed the burial chamber in the side of the cairn and decided to slide inside with a torch.

“As I shone the torch around, I noticed a pattern on the underside of the roof slab which didn’t appear to be natural markings in the rock.,” he said.

“As I shone the light around further, I could see that I was looking at a deer stag upside down, and as I continued looking around, more animals appeared on the rock.”

He said the discovery had been completely unexpected.

“To me, discoveries like this are the real treasure of archaeology, helping to reshape our understanding of the past,” he added.

The cairn is currently closed while HES carries out further evaluation and puts measures in place to protect the carvings.

Related Posts

Roman Bath and Magnificent Mosaics Used as Stables by the Villagers For Many Years

Roman Bath and Magnificent Mosaics Used as Stables by the Villagers For Many Years

Roman Bath and Magnificent Mosaics Used as Stables by the Villagers For Many Years Archaeological excavations in the ancient city of Herakleia in Muğla’s Milas district in western Türkiye unearthed a striking discovery from the Roman period. Mosaics with detailed depictions of animals such as crocodiles, dolphins, flamingos, and eels were found on the floor of the …

Scientists identified a unique engraving that could be the oldest three-dimensional (3D) map in the world

Scientists identified a unique engraving that could be the oldest three-dimensional (3D) map in the world

Scientists identified a unique engraving that could be the oldest three-dimensional (3D) map in the world Scientists working in the Ségognole 3 cave, located in the famous sandstone mᴀssif south of Paris have identified a unique engraving that could be the oldest three-dimensional (3D) map in the world. A recent study published in the Oxford …

Golden Tongues and Nails discovered on mummies from the Ptolemaic Period in Egypt

Golden Tongues and Nails discovered on mummies from the Ptolemaic Period in Egypt

Golden Tongues and Nails discovered on mummies from the Ptolemaic Period in Egypt Archaeologists have uncovered tombs decorated with colorful inscriptions and ritual scenes, as well as unusual mummies and unique funerary objects, including 13 striking golden tongues and nails, at the Al-Bahnasa archaeological site in Egypt’s Minya governorate. The Oxyrhynchus Archaeological Mission, led by …

Sixth-Century Sword Unearthed in Anglo-Saxon Cemetery near Canterbury, England

Sixth-Century Sword Unearthed in Anglo-Saxon Cemetery near Canterbury, England

Sixth-Century Sword Unearthed in Anglo-Saxon Cemetery near Canterbury, England A spectacular sixth-century sword has been unearthed in an Anglo-Saxon cemetery in southeast England, and archaeologists say it is in an exceptional state of preservation and is similar to the sword found at Sutton Hoo, an Anglo-Saxon cemetery in Suffolk. The find was made in a …

2,000-Year-Old Unique Composite Fish Scaled Armor Found in Ancient Tomb

2,000-Year-Old Unique Composite Fish Scaled Armor Found in Ancient Tomb

2,000-Year-Old Unique Composite Fish Scaled Armor Found in Ancient Tomb Chinese researchers have recently found fish-scaled armor in the tomb of Liu He, Marquis of Haihun from the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 25), in Nanchang, the capital of eastern China’s Jiangxi province. According to the Provincial Insтιтute of Archaeology and Cultural Relics, this is …

Discovery Shedding Light on Ancient Maritime Trade: 1,500-Year-Old Trade Shipwreck Found off Türkiye’s Ayvalık

Discovery Shedding Light on Ancient Maritime Trade: 1,500-Year-Old Trade Shipwreck Found off Türkiye’s Ayvalık

Discovery Shedding Light on Ancient Maritime Trade: 1,500-Year-Old Trade Shipwreck Found off Türkiye’s Ayvalık ‘Turkish Sunken-Ships Project: Blue Heritage’, a 1500-year-old trade shipwreck was found off the coast of  Ayvalık district of Balıkesir. Under the direction of ᴀssociate professor Harun Özdaş, director of the Underwater Research Center (SUDEMER) at Dokuz Eylül University, the mapping of the underwater cultural …