Archaeology Notes

Event ID 674837

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/674837

NM80SW 8 8222 0270.

NM 822 026. At least four sheets of rock, bearing cups, cup-and-rings, and complex designs, to which have been added "John Campbell 1874" and "1877", occur up the centre and west side of the ridge running north from the river at Ormaig.

M Campbell and M Sandeman 1964.

Only three outcropping rocks with markings were found in this area at NM 8222 0267. 'A' measures 2.5m x 1.0m. As planned. 'B', 9.0m to the NE, measures 2.0m x 0.5m and bears three cup and ring marks and at least 11 cups. 'C', 3.0m NE of 'B', measures c. 1.0m square; it bears 5 cup and ring marks and about 15 cups.

Surveyed at 1:10,000.

Visited by OS (R D) 11 March 1970.

NM 8222 0267; A magnificent series of over 200 carvings including cup and cup-and-ring marks, many in "mint" condition have been uncovered by Miss Campbell and the Mid Argyll Society.

Information contained in letter from R W B Morris to OS, 22 July 1973.

NM 82226 02688 There are at least three groups of cup and ring marks within an area of c 10m by 10m. Site identified during a field survey carried out by GUARD in 2003.

Heather F James, 2003 (RCAHMS MS 2371, no.20)

NM 8222 0270 A programme of archaeological works was carried out at Ormaig cup- and ring-marked site in Argyll in July and August 2007. Through hand excavation the extent of the site was determined and previously noted but subsequently 'lost' decorated exposures 4, 5, 6 and 7 (the former recorded by the RCAHMS. in 1985 and the latter recorded in Morris 1977) were re-located and recorded. Newly exposed rock art was recorded using a variety of methods including scaled plan, tracing and laser scanning. The lowermost exposure, Exposure 1, was cleaned of

moss and grass; Exposures 2 and 3 were not cleaned, as the roots of the moss cover appeared to penetrate the rock surface.

Data on the vegetation covering the rock art and the geology into which the rock art had been carved was also collected to inform options for the long term management and conservation of the site and other similar rock art sites in Mid-Argyll.

Archive deposited with Kilmartin House Museum

Funder: British Academy, The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and the Dalriada Project

Clare Ellis, 2007.