Thousands of years ago our neolithic ancestors left behind a series of mysterious sculptures, the origins of which could soon be revealed through 3D scanning technology.
A short walk to Kilmartin Glen just north of Lochgilphead, Argyll, will take you to the largest example of prehistoric rock carvings to be found anywhere in Britain.
Known as the Achnabreck cup and rocks, the ring of mysterious patterns consist of a series of ring marks - deep depressions in the rock surrounded by Saturn-like concentric rings and horseshoes. Distributed on several rock outcrops, the Achnabreck O-rings are among the largest ever discovered in Europe - some measuring one meter in diameter.
It is believed that the drawings were carved over 5000 years ago - even before the famous Neolithic site at Skara Brae by two thousand years.
The site was first reported by Sir James Simpson back in 1864, before being studied exhaustively and drawn a century later by Ronald W. B. Morris.
Nobody knows why the site was born, although some historians have argued that the sculptures may have made one or symbolic. Spiritualist goal Later many examples were discovered near burial sites, suggesting that markings in general had a sacred meaning. Gutters throw some of the rings, which, according to some, could have been used to direct the water in some form of ritual.
Today a team of amateur experts and archaeologists are working to create a new digital database using 3D scanning technology to study and record brands in a finer way than ever before . In doing so, it is hoped that the time spanning mysteries surrounding their creation can finally be unraveled.
Launched in early 2017, the historical environment of the Scottish-funded project is part of a wider analysis of more than 2,000 similar sculptures found throughout the country, dating back thousands of years.
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