Rock Art, Achnabreck, Scotland
This evening, Iam focusing on one of key interests in the form of prehistory and a particular subset thereof in the form of so-called Rock Art which can be found widely distributed around the British Isles. The images on this post emanate from three sites, namely Achnabreck ( W .Scotland), Isle of Arran ( W.Scotland) and Ireland. Dating of the carvings is very difficult but they probably range between 3000 and 5000 years old. The rationale behind the designs is not known because we cannot get into the minds of the people who spent may hours chipping away with stone tools to make them. Many of the carvings appear on rock outcrops on high ground which may have been adjacent to ancient trails. The shape and surface of the rocks appear to be significant relative to the acutal designs with the latter possibly enhancing the rocks’ position in the landscape. It may be that the carvings had some territorial or mapping function or may have recorded special events such as weddings, funerals, feasts or cosmic events, we may never know. However, its nice to pause for a minute and try to get into the minds of our Stone Age ancestors. continue reading…
