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Townhead 6
Cup And Ring Marked Rock (Neolithic) - (Bronze Age)
Site Name Townhead 6
Classification Cup And Ring Marked Rock (Neolithic) - (Bronze Age)
Alternative Name(s) Townhead 7; Townhead 3
Canmore ID 63915
Site Number NX64NE 35
NGR NX 69801 47098
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/63915
- Council Dumfries And Galloway
- Parish Kirkcudbright
- Former Region Dumfries And Galloway
- Former District Stewartry
- Former County Kirkcudbrightshire
NX64NE 35 6980 4706.
NX 696 471. Cup and Ring marked Rocks, Townhead 3: Two outcrop greywacke sheets, 3 yds apart, lie in the same field as, and 150 yds WNW of, NX64NE 36 and NX64NE 200 yds E by N of Townhead. The NW slab, which is level with the ground, measures 5 ft by 2 1/4 ft. It is sculptured with a cup and two or three rings, 6 ins in diameter, and 14 cups, 4 of which are connected by grooves. Most only show when the stone is wet, are of negligible depth and much weathered.
The second slab, also level with the ground, measures 4 ft by 3 ft and bears 7 cups, two with long grooves suggesting an attempt at making a cup with three incomplete oval rings.
R W B Morris MS. 1973
NX 6941 4713. It is not possible to plot these markings with certainty from both the topographical description and grid. ref. given, as the rocks would lie in the next field E of the one mentioned (ie at c.NX 69804706). These are described under Townhead 3.
R W B Morris 1979
Naddair stripped and subsequently re-turfed areas of rock at Townhead, to reveal a considerable number of markings (his numbers Townhead 1-12). His numbering sequence does not relate to those sites previously described, but all have been renumbered, starting at the lowest outcrop, 10 yds from the stream, to the highest outcrops near the field wall that goes across the crest of the SW horizon. The markings are pecked onto outcrops which lie in two main ridges, running NE-SW, parallel to each other. Eight panels are described at Naddair's 'Townhead 7' (at NX 698 471, according to Naddair): (a) bears five single cups, one with a long runnel going E. (b) 24 small single cups on a much fractured piece of bedrock. (c) 14 cups (7 single); three cups surrounded by one gapped ring; one cup surrounded by two gapped rings; an ovaloid cup surrounded by three ovals. Two parallel runnels go SE from the first oval. (d) This panel is that described by Morris as Townhead 3b: additional markings are two cups connected by a runnel; from near the top of this there is an arc which turns to meet the bottom of an oval which contains a cup at its centre; one cup-and-one-ring, from which two arcs come out to join an adjacent cup; five single cups. (e) This panel is described by Morris as Townhead 3a. It bears fifteen cups, one of which is surrounded by two rings. (f) Two cup-and-three-rings, linked by a runnel, and with runnels coming from the cups; a cup-and-two-rings, a cup with one gapped ring, surrounded by a further complete ring, which has a runnel leading from it; a cup with a runnel through the first, gapped, ring, surrounded by two complete rings; a cup with a runnel, surrounded by two ovals (about 17 single cups spray out from this figure to form a star-like pattern; eleven ovaloid basins, with runnels leading to adjacent cups. (g) 34 single cups and a T-shape triskele enclosed by a circle. (h) Some 37-41 single cups, also a cup-and-one-ring; a cup surrounded by a square; and another cup surrounded by an oval with a runnel linking it to a ring.
K Naddair, L Lees and R Morris 1989; K Naddair and R Morris NMRS MS/316.
Note (19 July 2018)
Date Fieldwork Started: 19/07/2018
Compiled by: ScRAP
Location Notes: The panel is situated in a field of improved pasture on the SE facing hillslope, on a rocky knoll on the NNE edge of a low ridge running WSW-ENE, which falls away markedly more to SSE than NNW. The field rises gently WSW up to a saddle and up to a low summit to the NNW. There is a cluster of carved panels on the same knoll within about 10m of Townhead 6, including Townhead 7 (Canmore 63917, ScRAP 718) and Townhead 8, which have been recorded by the Kirkcudbright Team, and Townhead 9-12 which were not relocated and are presumably buried under thick turf. There are at least 20 carved rocks in the same field (Townhead 1-26) located mainly on outcropping rock along the low ridge.
Townhead 6 was previously recorded in Canmore separately in two parts, although these carved areas are clearly the same stretch of outcrop and are recorded here as one panel. Morris records Townhead 6 as Townhead 3A and 3C, whilst Naddir et al records it as 7e and 7f. Part of Townhead 6 (previously Townhead 3A) is grouped with Townhead 7 (previously Townhead 3B) in the earlier Canmore record (Canmore 63915). Confusingly, it is also grouped in the same Canmore record with all the other panels within this cluster (i.e. Townhead 6-12; previously Townhead 7a-h). Even more confusingly, part of Townhead 6 (previously Townhead 3C) is recorded separately as Townhead A (Canmore 63917, ScRAP 718). Moreover, the north-western section of Townhead 6 is also recorded as Townhead 3G by van Hoek and Townhead 7g by Naddir et al, although it is clearly part of the same panel (Townhead 6).The ScRAP recordings have created individual records for distinct panels, and cross-referenced them with the previous Canmore records and panel numbers.
Panel Notes: This is a long area of exposed greywacke bedrock, mainly under 8-10cm turf and segregated by wide turf-filled fissures. A carved area to the NW of the panel was located on the first visit but was not uncovered on the second visit and remains under thick turf.
There are three sections to the recorded panel, which measures a total of 3.9m long and 1.8m wide with an almost horizontal surface at ground level:
The largest, eastern section (2.5x1.8m) is divided roughly into four parts by fissures. It has a series of elongated hollows running along its long axis, and slopes very gently to N and NE. The cup and ring carvings on this section are very faint, where as some of the cups are more pronounced. The motifs include 2 cups each with 3 complete or partial rings, 1 cup with 3 rings (or ring and spiral) and a double radial, and 1 cup with 2 rings and a radial. There are also 2 cups with partial rings, at least 3 dumbbell motifs, 1 conjoined cup, 4 sets of cups joined by grooves and at least 24 cups of varying sizes. There are also numerous peckmarks, particularly around the cups with rings and radials, which they appear to partially erase or superimpose.
To the W of the larger section are two smaller sections separated by turf (recorded as Townhead 3C by Morris and van Hoek, and 7f by Naddir et al, and as Townhead A in Canmore 63917). The carvings on both these sections are very clear and have well-defined tool marks. The first section features a cup with 2 rings, and a cupmark. W of this is a slightly larger triangular section with 2 cups with 3 rings and a radial. These two motifs are also connected by a second radial.
