1906-1907-] Cup- Marked Stones. 421 



bodied extracts from other papers regarding two examples in 

 the Isle of Man, five in Ireland, two in Brittany, and three 

 in Scandinavia. 



Sir James Y. Simpson's inquiries regarding these cup- 

 marked stones having been so extensive, it might have been 

 expected that he would have adopted some theory as to their 

 probable import, and with regard to the epoch of time when 

 they were executed. But I find him thus expressing himself : 

 " Of the real object or meaning of these stone-cut circles and 

 cups we know as yet nothing that is certain. They are 

 archaeological enigmata which we have no present power of 

 solving ; lapidary hieroglyphics and symbols, the key to whose 

 mysterious import has been lost, and probably may never be 

 regained." Several hypotheses as to their origin and objects 

 are mentioned by Sir James which are only quoted to be 

 rejected, and which need not be brought forward now. The 

 most reasonable theory, which is said to have been adopted 

 by Professor Nilsson, who has written on the stones found in 

 Scandinavia, seems to be that the flat stones were heathen 

 altars, cup-marked in order to receive part of the blood of the 

 sacrifice. The cups on upright stones could not, of course, 

 contain any fluid ; but it is possible that these stones with 

 cups may have been marked before they were placed upright. 

 And on the stones now found in an erect position the ring 

 marks are more frequent than the cups. The ring marks 

 should, I think, be held to have a meaning entirely different 

 from the cups ; and it seems likely that they were the 

 symbols for a heathen worship of which no written record 

 is left to us in this country, but of which some trace may yet 

 be found in relation to the symbols that have been adopted 

 among the many religious cults that have existed in Eastern 

 countries. 



I may say that the theory of the stones with cup marks 

 having been sacrificial altars gives quite a satisfactory ex- 

 planation for the marks I saw on the stone at Gartan in 

 Ireland, and on those at Eohallion and Grandtully in Perth- 

 shire, the marks in all being very irregular and without any 

 meaning except to serve as cups. Sir James Y. Simpson 

 discusses closely the proposition by some theorist that these 

 marks are connected with the worship of the Syrian god 



