Round Wood (1), Bellsmyre, Dumbartonshire

Cup-Marked Stone:  OS Grid Reference – NS 433 773

Archaeology & History

Round Wood petroglyph

Of the “two stones bearing possible cup markings” mentioned in the Royal Commission (1978) survey of the area, this is one them – and it’s a dead cert, not a mere “possible.”  It was rediscovered by Tom Welsh (1976) when he explored the large low-walled enclosure on this plateau.  The carving is on a small rounded stone near the southern perimeter of the enclosure.  Welsh described it as, “a boulder 48 x 35 x20cm, bearing six cups 45mm diameter, arranged five round a sixth, the pattern being 15cm across.”

A second cup-marked stone was also located “2.5m in from the last perimeter” bearing a single well-defined cup-mark more than an inch across.  This seems to have been lost.

References:

  1. Royal Commission Ancient Historical Monuments, Scotland, The Archaeological Sites and Monuments of Dumbarton District…, HMSO: Edinburgh 1978
  2. Welsh, T.C., “Lang Craigs, Milton, Enclosure, Cup marks, Foundation, Mound, Platform”, in Discovery & Excavation Scotland, 1976.

Above photo copyright © Lairich Rig and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons.

© Paul BennettThe Northern Antiquarian

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