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Thorax
Cup Marked Stone (Prehistoric), Stone Circle (Neolithic) - (Bronze Age)
Site Name Thorax
Classification Cup Marked Stone (Prehistoric), Stone Circle (Neolithic) - (Bronze Age)
Alternative Name(s) Thorax 1; Thorax 2
Canmore ID 17897
Site Number NJ55SE 1
NGR NJ 5822 5495
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/17897
- Council Aberdeenshire
- Parish Marnoch
- Former Region Grampian
- Former District Banff And Buchan
- Former County Banffshire
NJ55SE 1 5822 5495
(NJ 5822 5495) Stone Circle (NR) (Remains of)
OS 6" map, Banffshire, 2nd ed., (1904)
'On the inner surface of one of (the stones)...are numerous cup-cuttings; and an appearance of a ring-cutting is traceable around two or three of the largest cups.'
J Y Simpson 1868.
This stone circle is unsymmetrical and composed of six stones. A dike has been built between the stones and trees have been planted in the centre. All stones are upright.
The great stone to the NW (?B) has 22 cup marks on its inside face, the largest is 4-inches in diameter and an inch deep.
F R Coles 1906.
The circle which was scheduled as an Ancient Monument on 19th May 1964 is generally as described by Coles (1906). The largest stones are from 1.3m to 1.8m high. There is no trace of the ring cutting noted by Simpson (1868).
17.6 metres to the west of the circle is an almost buried stone, with three cup marks on its upper face.
Revised at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (JTT), 17 September 1964.
As described above, except that the stone to the W has three other faint cup-marks in addition to those noted by Todd.
Visited by OS (NKB), 22 January 1968.
Field Visit (20 May 2005)
This circle has been much altered, firstly by the erection of a drystone dyke linking the six stones, subsequently by the removal of the same dyke, and finally by rabbit burrows that have extensively undermined its core. Today, the circle lies within a fenced enclosure, and the stones stand around the edges of a low stony mound, retained by a low kerb of boulders up to 0.5m high. While this gives the appearance of a cairn with a composite kerb of boulders and stone pillars, at least five of the boulders have been drilled and split, and this may indicate that the kerb is no more than the foundation of the dyke. The circle itself is not a true circle on plan, and is flattened on the SSE arc, measuring a maximum of 6.2m from E to W by 5.2m transversely.
The stones are irregularly spaced around the perimeter and are not graded in height, the tallest at 1.77m standing on the W, and the shortest at 1.01m on the SW. The other stones are rounded pillars between 1.4m and 1.56m in height. The tall stone on the W is decorated on its inner face with thirty cup marks, three of which are surrounded by a ring; its outer face has been split off more recently.
Visited by RCAHMS (ATW,ARG) 20 May 2005
Measured Survey (20 May 2005)
RCAHMS surveyed Thorax stone circle on 20 May 2005 with plane table and alidade producing a plan and section at a scale of 1:100.
Note
Date fieldwork started: 13/11/2020
Compiled by: NOSAS
Thorax 2
Location notes: The panel is situated in rough grazing within a stone-walled field used for grazing, on an E facing slope with extensive views of the Moray Firth to the N. Thorax Farm is situated further down the hillside and is separated from the field by a small treed area. A wind farm is located on Cluvie Hill, to the W. As an addition to the Thorax Standing Stone Circle this stone is one of the smaller stones that have been placed between the six orthostats to define a circular shape. It lies to the NE side of the circle.
Panel notes: This is an angular dark grey stone measuring 0.8m x 0.7m x 0.8m. It has one cupmark, 7cm in diameter and 2cm deep on a steeply sloping surface. The cupmark faces W and the long axis faces NE. There is a light covering of lichen on the stone, but the cupmark is clean and well defined.
Note
Date fieldwork started: 13/11/2020
Compiled by: NOSAS
Thorax 1
Location notes: The panel is one of the six remaining standing stones of Thorax Stone Circle and stands on the W side of the circle. It is situated on an E facing slope with extensive views of the Moray Firth to the N. A stone wall surrounds the rough pasture field where it is located, and Thorax Farm lies beyond the trees to its E. To the W is a windfarm on Cluvie Hill. A stone with one potential cupmark (Thorax 2) was observed in the circular border of stones which connects the standing stones.
Panel notes: The panel is a grey, upright, rectangular shaped stone measuring approximately 1.7m x 1.4m x 0.6m. The carved surface faces to the inside of the circle and has a total of 36 cupmarks. One of these has a possible partial ring and, below and to the left of it, a faint groove can be seen above 2 cupmarks. The cupmarks are located on the N half of the stone. Two large weathered channels run from the top of the stone to approximately one third of the way down and two other weathered channels are located on the S side; one of these is 10cm deep.
