CUP-MARKINGS. 



BY MR. G. T. DERRICK. 



Most members of this Society are aware that cup-markings 

 are to be seen on two ancient stones in Guernsey. One of 

 these stones is close to the Forest Church ; it is the last stone 

 in the wall bordering the high-road on the left hand side 

 going from town, at the top of the road leading down to Petit 

 Bot Bay. On the vertical face of this stone is one clearly 

 cut cup-mark, i.e., a saucer-like hollow 3£ inches in diameter 

 and half-an-inch deep ; there are two other depressions on the 

 same stone, but they are so disfigured by weathering that 

 their artificial origin may be doubted. The same stone has 

 an inscription, cut on it about 200 years ago, and this makes 

 it probable that the stone was then removed from its original 

 position and placed on its present site. 



The second cup-marked stone is one of the vertical props 

 of one of the minor cromlechs on FAncresse, very near the 

 horsepond. On this stone there are seven similar hollows in 

 a line, roughly parallel to and not far from the vertical edge 

 of the stone, and continuing along both the top and bottom 

 margins of it. The attention of members has been previously 

 called to these marks, and their purpose has been casually 

 discussed on more than one occasion. This is my excuse for 

 bringing before the members some references to exactly 

 similar markings which have been observed in India. 



The volume from which I draw my information contains 

 several papers read before certain antiquarian societies in India; 

 the principal one is entitled " Archaeological Notes on Ancient 

 Sculptures on Rocks in Kumaon, India " ; the author is 

 H. Rivett-Carnac, Esq., who first reported them at meetings 

 of the Asiatic Society of Bengal in 1870. The book is the 

 property of J. J. Carey, Esq., a very active and useful 

 member of this Society. I have his full approbation of the 

 use I am making of his book this evening. I feel I ought to 

 apologise to him for touching on a subject which he would be 

 far more capable of handling, from his knowledge of the 

 country where these remains are found, from his special 

 interest in archaeological subjects, and from his having himself 



