Excavation

Date 1 October 1994 - 31 October 1994

Event ID 546012

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/546012

NR 855 906 Excavation at the site of cup-and -ring marked rock outcrops in Achnabreck Wood was undertaken by AOC (Scotland) Ltd in advance of the installation of new walkways, stiles, notice boards and a drain. In several small cuttings immediately adjacent to the carved rock exposure, the turf was stripped by hand and the topsoil layer was excavated to the subsoil surface. Though hitherto unexposed areas of bedrock were exposed, no new carvings were identified. Up to 10% of the topsoil was sieved in each area in an attempt to identify lithic debris associated with the carvings or their production, but no such material was identified. A group of linear features adjacent to the E or smaller carved outcrop is interpreted as ard or plough marks, but there is no evidence that these are associated with the carvings.

Sponsor: Historic Scotland with Forestry Enterprise.

J O'Sullivan 1995