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Glasserton cup and ring marked rocks is a Bronze Age ceremonial or ritual site located in Wigtownshire, south-west Scotland. The monuments consist of naturally exposed bedrock of the Hawick Group, a tough wacke formation that dates geologically to the Wenlock period of the Silurian. These ancient rocks provided the canvas for the creation of cup and ring carvings, symbolic markings characteristic of the Bronze Age peoples who inhabited this region between approximately 2000 and 800 BC.
The site demonstrates the importance of prominent natural rock outcrops in Bronze Age ritual practice. The cup marks—small, deliberately pecked circular depressions—often accompanied by concentric rings radiating outward, represent a widespread tradition across prehistoric Britain and Europe. The durable wacke bedrock has preserved these marks through millennia, allowing them to remain visible on the landscape today.
Glasserton cup and ring marked rocks is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference number SM2264, recognising its archaeological significance and the need to safeguard this Bronze Age landscape feature for future study and public appreciation. Such rock art sites contribute to our understanding of prehistoric belief systems and the ritual use of the natural landscape.
Glasserton,cup & ring marked rocks is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2264. View the official record →
Glasserton cup and ring marked rocks is a Bronze Age ceremonial or ritual site located in Wigtownshire, south-west Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2264.
Glasserton,cup & ring marked rocks is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM2264.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Laggan,fort,Carleton (0.8 km), St Ninian's Cave (2.1 km), Rispain Camp (3.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Glasserton,cup & ring marked rocks's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Glasserton,cup & ring marked rocks stands on Hawick Group, bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is wacke.