Ballochmyle cup and ring marks
[4] The presence of possible medieval carvings, the extensive quarrying with numerous workmen employed in the area, especially during the construction of the Ballochmyle Viaduct, emphasises how surprising it is that these glyphs were overlooked for so long, especially as they are only about 2 km south-east of Mauchline's town centre.
[12] The basic 'cup' is the most common carving however a wide range of glyphs exist with single to multiple concentric circles that are sometimes cut through in various ways by channels, etc.
Where concentric rings exist the central cup often appears to dominate in depth and size[13] suggesting that they were subject to repeated reworking over a period of time.
[19][20] These types of carvings were created using 'hammerstones' or 'peckers', examples of these have been found elsewhere, hitting the surface of the rock repeatedly or using a grinding motion until the desired design was formed[21] Some of the long grooves appear to be a series of cups that were then joined together.
The contrast with the original rock surface and the effect of shadow and rain usually makes the markings stand out however hints of the use of coloured pigments have been found at other sites[22] and such things as animal fat, charcoal, plants dyes, etc.
[25] It may be relevant that the Ballochmyle area has both spectacular geological formations and geographical features in addition to the presence of a significant liminal zone in the form of a major watercourse, the River Ayr.
During this time smaller nomadic groups that might visit certain sites seasonally developed into sedentary communities with hierarchical leadership structures and specific communal religious practices.
[33] The universality of cup and ring markings suggest a commonality of the origins of such glyphs that may relate to natural phenomena that are deemed significant, such as the concentricles that form on water when an object or offering is placed in it and although this may have been interpreted differently by the many cultures involved, the liminality with associated themes of thresholds and communication with the 'other side' may be one explanation for the use of cup and rings rather than the extensive use of glyphs such as ovals, boxes, triangles, star-shapes, etc.
In 2015 AOC Archaeology group were employed by the Forestry Commission Scotland to carry out a survey of laser scanning and photogrammetry on the Ballochmyle cup and ring marks.
