Excavating rock art in Strath Tay day 7: More questions about quartz

The new trench alongside the cup and ring marked outcrop is rapidly completed. There were no finds and no sign of any kind of structure or feature.

Above: The completed trench does not reveal any archaeology (Photo: Aaron Watson)

Meanwhile, a series of quartz rich stones in the main trench have now been cleaned. In 2017, when the trench was very small, it appeared like these might be stones set at the edge of a cairn. Now we are considering a wider area, they look increasingly like natural outcrops.

Above: In the foreground are the white quartz stones which seem to define the edge of an area of cobbles (Photo: Aaron Watson)

Above: A closer view shows how the possible kerbstones looks increasingly like they are attached to the bedrock (Photo: Aaron Watson)

Above: We begin surveying the excavated areas using plane tabling (Photo: Aaron Watson)

The 2018 excavations in Strath Tay were co-directed by Richard Bradley and Aaron Watson, assisted by Ronnie Scott and Moyra Simon. Many thanks to the landowner and estate staff for their support.