Archaic Sculp iitrings. 121 



The Archaic Sciilpturings of Dumfries and GaMoway ; 



being chiefly Interpretations of the Local Cup and Ring 



Markings, and of the Designs on the Early Christian 



Monuments. 



By LuDovic MacLellan Mann, F.S.A.(Scot.). 



'i'he sculplurings in this district may be cli\ idcd chrono- 

 lo^icallv into eig'ht sections, two of which belong" to the Pre- 

 historic or Pagan periods, two to the Transitional period, and 

 four to the Harl\ Christian centuries. I do not propose to 

 touch upon any sculpturings later than the middle of the 

 ijlli century a.u. 



The sections are : — 



(a) Pagan — (i) Rock sculpturings of cup and rings and 



analogous designs of the late Neolithic and Bronze Age 

 — say, 2000 B.C. to 300 B.C. ; (2) Designs on slate of tlie 

 middle Bronze Age— say, 1000 B.C. 



(b) Transitional — (3) Designs on lignite discs, probably of the 



Karly iron Age or very Karly Media?\ al Centuries — say, 

 300 B.C. to 800 A. IX ; (4) Car\ed stone balls of the same 

 period as No. 3. 



(c) Christia.n — (5) Earliest Christian Monuments, chiefly at 



Stoneykirk — say, 450 a.d. ; (6) Recondite Pictish Symbols 

 on rock surface at Anwoth — say, 500 to 700 a.d. ; (7) 

 Christian Monuments of, say, 600-900 a.d. ; and (8) 

 Christian Monuments of the latest Pre-Norman period, 

 such as the Ruthwell Cross — say, goo-iioo a.d. 

 From the abo\e table it will be seen that the archaic 

 carvings and etchings on stones and rock surfaces of Dum- 

 fries and Galloway extend back through the whole of the 

 pre-Norman section of the Christian Kra to the time of the 

 birth of Christ. Yet further distant in point of time are 

 designs cut on stone, belonging to the three or four cen- 

 turies before Christ. 



E\'en before that era can be clearly (iercei\ed the relics 



