Dunchraigaig Cairn
Dunchraigaig · Kilmartin Chambered Cairn
Early Neolithic to Early Bronze Age·Kilmartin Early Neolithic / Beaker·🇬🇧 Kilmartin Glen, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, United Kingdom
About
About Dunchraigaig Cairn
Chambered cairn on the east side of Kilmartin Glen beside the A816, built c.3700–3600 BCE with three stone cists inserted c.2500–2000 BCE. In 2021, excavations revealed a decorated cist lid with cup-and-ring and animal carvings (stags, possibly earliest in Scotland) used as a capstone. The cairn exemplifies Kilmartin's multi-phase reuse over 1500 years.
Why it mattersChambered cairn on the east side of Kilmartin Glen beside the A816, built c.3700–3600 BCE with three stone cists inserted c.2500–2000 BCE. In 2021, excavations revealed a decorated cist lid with cup-and-ring and animal c
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Cist 3 animal carvings meaning
Theories
- 01Multi-phase tomb reuse over millennium
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 3700–2000 BCE
- Period
- Early Neolithic to Early Bronze Age
- Culture
- Kilmartin Early Neolithic / Beaker
- Purpose
- Chambered cairn with later cists
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 3700–2000 BCE
Initial construction
c. 1167 CE
Rediscovery
On the ground
Structures & features
Gallery