TITE ENGRAVED STONES OF LVDENBURG. 4IJ 



hollows, however, of a size comparable with the cuj^like hollows 

 mentioned above, are alwa}'s of an elongated or oval form ; one 

 may picture the cavity being ground out by elongated eddies. The 

 cup-like hollows in the l)oulders described above, however, are 

 as nearly circular as may be expected when it is remembered that 

 thev must have been executed in a very hard kind of rock by 

 means of pieces of pointed stone only. 1 am, therefore, of 

 opinion that we are here face to face with old — very old — en- 

 gravings, which consist of cup-like hollows and systems of rings, 

 occurring singly or in various combinations. Similar engravings 

 from variotis other countries have already been descrilied, but as 

 far as 1 know, not yet from South Africa. 



The British Museum is in possession of " slabs of stone, 

 with markings of unknown meaning, but probably of the 

 neolithic period. The simplest are cup-marking's, about iK>in. 

 in diameter, with a uniform de]Jth of jAin. More elaborate 

 examples show concentric rings, cut about three-tenths of an 

 inch deep, or concentric rings surrounding a pit. tisually known 

 as cup-and-ring markings. These are sometimes connected by 

 channels."* " These markings, frequently found in connection 

 with burials of the Bronze Age, are frequent in Northumberland, 

 Yorkshire. Argyllshire. Kerry, and other parts of our islands; 

 while they are known also in India. North America, Centr.il 

 .\merica, and New Caledonia. "f It would take too long to flis- 

 cuss all the suggestions that ha\e been made concerning the tise 

 of these markings, or what they were intended to represent. As 

 yet nothing certain is known about their meaning. No hypothesis 

 concerning their significance that may be brought forward can 

 have any claim to be discussed at all unless it takes a broad view 

 of the question of rock carvings in general, and in particular of 

 the world-wide distribution of these markings.;!; 



The British Association —The annual meeting of 

 the British Association for the Advancement of Science has been 

 arranged to take place at Bournemouth from September 9 to 13, 

 with the Hon. Sir Charles Parsons as President. The meetings 

 of the Association will thus have been intermitted for three years, 

 the last meeting having taken place in 1916 at Newcastle-on-Tyne. 

 The original intention had been to meet at Bournemouth in 1917, 

 and at Cardiff in 191 8, but both meetings had to be abandoned 

 on account of the war. 



* British Museum Guide to the Antiquities of the Stone Age (1911), 



t British Museum Ciuiclf to the Antiquities of the Bronze Age (1904). 

 79- 



JFurther references as to the widespread occurrence of " cupand- 

 ring" markings may be found in— Windle : "Remains of the Prehistoric 

 Age," 123; and in Avebury : "Prehistoric Times" (1913). 172. 



