Such a good talk - thank you. I'm lucky to have the next few days close to Kilmartin to explore. Years ago I studied a symbol in the context of Ancient Egypt for my PhD - exactly the same conclusion, that it wasn't a "puzzle" to be "solved" but that meaning could be fluid and context-specific. I suspect this is the secret of a really enduring symbolism, the ability to adapt and embody multiple purposes for different audiences.
Thanks for so much good information. I’ve found a lot of the cups on our property in Norway, as well as a few carved ships that have been uncovered. I also found a bunch of quartz pieces, and some other artifacts.
Mind opening lecture. The quartz fragments being purposely placed into the fissures is fascinating. Some of the fissures are natural cracks in the rock. Some are man-made. Food for thought ! Thank you very much for sharing.
What does every neolithic archeological occupation or burial site have in common?.. Ring ditches and round earth, stone or wood circles around them so the most likely explanation is that they are local maps. The number of rings corresponding to the size of the villages or burials.
Great talk, In my opinion, these are plasma shapes around the Sun. Currently Visible, only in the Infrared. My hobby is infrared photography of celestial objects. These are due to another body, lost in the brilliance of the Sun, that periodically approaches the inner solar system. They will become visible in the near future. Other shapes are the Crescent and Sun, Winged Sun , even the Venus figurenes found around the world. David R
My mind always goes back to the annals and the Tuatha de Danaan's escape to inner earth and their battle with the Milesians (Akhenaten's decendants?). Could they be mapping the locations of portals etc?
One suggestion is that cup and ring marks were symbolic tunnels descending down through the surface of the rock. Understood in this way, they could very well be portals.
@@Kilmartin_Museum Maps are something we do know humans made.... portals not so much... unless you consider the cenotes of the Mayan culture but they were big enough to actually enter... heh...
Random thought .. Could these designs actually be old maps of their territory ? I ask this as i was reading up on a very old European map of Britany the The Saint-Bélec slab
A sort of counting of years or generations of a family. Are they done on the virtical sides, a horizontal surface , or a slight slant , how much erosion would there be on this type of rock and what kind of rock is it. The reason I ask this are the holes and rings ment to hold a liquid that may be used to evaporate or filter a liquid containig a mineral or some other type of substance, the quartz may be necessary for the concoction. Native Americans made bowls much deeper then this in rock to make salt , but these remind me of them . Perhaps what they were making was not made in such large quantities.
I think the circles represent the constellation Cassiopia. Cassiopia is the only constellation that is visible in the summer and winter. It represents the centre of the milky way, the vortex with everything spinning out from its centre. Cassiopia looks like a W or breasts from the perspective of Earth. The Galactic mother Godess. This rock art was created at a time of matralinial society. That's my opinion anyway.
There have been archaeological excavations at the rock art sites of Torbhlaren and Ormaig near Kilmartin. An investigation also took place at Achnabreck during the construction of a viewing platform for visitors, and a few worked stones were found. We try to minimise disturbance to the topsoil around rock art sites now we know there is potential for artefacts to have been placed there.
We see what you mean, but we're sorry to say that mammoths no longer roamed Scotland at the time when these markings were made! Rock carvings showing animals are very unusual in the Neolithic or Bronze Age, but do keep looking because incredibly rare carvings of deer have been found on a large stone at the Dunchraigaig Cairn in Kilmartin Glen.
God people talk a lot of bollocks about these things. Consider human nature, look at the geographical context, and realise that they're not art, they're schematic. People sat around watching animals, waiting for hunting drives, camping while packing goods up and down the tracks, and played games/gambled with these shapes, they're patently the product of idleness and even boredom. The fact that they're all over the place tells you everything you need to know, because these were mundane impulses- boredom, camaraderie, competition- and that happens everywhere. One of the first things people do when they have material culture is devise games with it and gamble lol. Early people would have spent a lot of time sitting around waiting. The 'aid to tripping balls' theory rings true too because, having tripped balls myself, lighting these shapes on fire with oil and staring at them at night would have been a deep hallucinogenic experience. Could have been both!
Such a good talk - thank you. I'm lucky to have the next few days close to Kilmartin to explore. Years ago I studied a symbol in the context of Ancient Egypt for my PhD - exactly the same conclusion, that it wasn't a "puzzle" to be "solved" but that meaning could be fluid and context-specific. I suspect this is the secret of a really enduring symbolism, the ability to adapt and embody multiple purposes for different audiences.
That's a good cop out... if they meant different things the symbols would change... that's why they're called symbols.
Fantastic presentation, thank you.
Thanks for so much good information. I’ve found a lot of the cups on our property in Norway, as well as a few carved ships that have been uncovered. I also found a bunch of quartz pieces, and some other artifacts.
Mind opening lecture. The quartz fragments being purposely placed into the fissures is fascinating. Some of the fissures are natural cracks in the rock. Some are man-made. Food for thought ! Thank you very much for sharing.
This was really helpful, and explained a bunch of quartz fragments I found on our property, whilst uncovering rock art.
Who said they were deliberately placed there since that's where they would naturally fall...
I wonder if they are maps showing places with telluric energy ? Do any match up to stone circles or other monuments? So interesting
Absolutely fascinating, thankyou!
thank you this is so wonderful
This is amazing and gave me a lot to think about! Thank you!
What does every neolithic archeological occupation or burial site have in common?.. Ring ditches and round earth, stone or wood circles around them so the most likely explanation is that they are local maps. The number of rings corresponding to the size of the villages or burials.
Would the quarts hammer stones light up if they where being used in the dark
Saw some interesting rock art at the Cavan Burren Geopark there earlier up to 200 examples including sculptures and rosettes
Great talk, In my opinion, these are plasma shapes around the Sun. Currently Visible, only in the Infrared. My hobby is infrared photography of celestial objects. These are due to another body, lost in the brilliance of the Sun, that periodically approaches the inner solar system. They will become visible in the near future. Other shapes are the Crescent and Sun, Winged Sun , even the Venus figurenes found around the world. David R
My mind always goes back to the annals and the Tuatha de Danaan's escape to inner earth and their battle with the Milesians (Akhenaten's decendants?). Could they be mapping the locations of portals etc?
One suggestion is that cup and ring marks were symbolic tunnels descending down through the surface of the rock. Understood in this way, they could very well be portals.
@@Kilmartin_Museum Maps are something we do know humans made.... portals not so much... unless you consider the cenotes of the Mayan culture but they were big enough to actually enter... heh...
Maybe the rings represent different generations down a family tree
Great idea! Perhaps successive generations each added their own markings to the rocks.
Random thought ..
Could these designs actually be old maps of their territory ?
I ask this as i was reading up on a very old European map of Britany the The Saint-Bélec slab
Are they always horizontal or are they also found on the side of a vertical rock wall?
Could the ring markings therfore be targets showing the best way to attack the animal?
A sort of counting of years or generations of a family.
Are they done on the virtical sides, a horizontal surface , or a slight slant , how much erosion would there be on this type of rock and what kind of rock is it. The reason I ask this are the holes and rings ment to hold a liquid that may be used to evaporate or filter a liquid containig a mineral or some other type of substance, the quartz may be necessary for the concoction.
Native Americans made bowls much deeper then this in rock to make salt , but these remind me of them . Perhaps what they were making was not made in such large quantities.
its there idea of wall paper or maybe the weather was bad outside so they just did this to while away some time in the winter months
I think the circles represent the constellation Cassiopia.
Cassiopia is the only constellation that is visible in the summer and winter.
It represents the centre of the milky way, the vortex with everything spinning out from its centre.
Cassiopia looks like a W or breasts from the perspective of Earth.
The Galactic mother Godess.
This rock art was created at a time of matralinial society.
That's my opinion anyway.
How much excavation of the topsoil over the surrounding area rock was carrieed out?
There have been archaeological excavations at the rock art sites of Torbhlaren and Ormaig near Kilmartin. An investigation also took place at Achnabreck during the construction of a viewing platform for visitors, and a few worked stones were found. We try to minimise disturbance to the topsoil around rock art sites now we know there is potential for artefacts to have been placed there.
Can I see an elephant or mamoth image shown behind the ring markings at five minutes?
We see what you mean, but we're sorry to say that mammoths no longer roamed Scotland at the time when these markings were made! Rock carvings showing animals are very unusual in the Neolithic or Bronze Age, but do keep looking because incredibly rare carvings of deer have been found on a large stone at the Dunchraigaig Cairn in Kilmartin Glen.
I hope you have left all the quartz in position?
they placed the afterbirth in the circle, to give the child the power of Mother Earth
They used Hallucinogens.
God people talk a lot of bollocks about these things. Consider human nature, look at the geographical context, and realise that they're not art, they're schematic. People sat around watching animals, waiting for hunting drives, camping while packing goods up and down the tracks, and played games/gambled with these shapes, they're patently the product of idleness and even boredom. The fact that they're all over the place tells you everything you need to know, because these were mundane impulses- boredom, camaraderie, competition- and that happens everywhere. One of the first things people do when they have material culture is devise games with it and gamble lol. Early people would have spent a lot of time sitting around waiting. The 'aid to tripping balls' theory rings true too because, having tripped balls myself, lighting these shapes on fire with oil and staring at them at night would have been a deep hallucinogenic experience. Could have been both!
It looks like a family tree to me. Not sure why it’s based on nothing but a guess