Making a Mark in Prehistory: Rock Art in Scotland

Making a Mark in Prehistory: Rock Art in Scotland comes to City Art Centre on Thursday 4 March 2027, with a free 2pm talk led by University of Edinburgh archaeologist Dr Tertia Barnett.

The session goes back around 5,000 years to the geometric markings carved into natural rock surfaces by early farming communities across Scotland.

Key Event Details

What The Talk Covers

Barnett looks at Scotland’s prehistoric rock art as a much older tradition of abstract mark-making than the modern art movements usually associated with abstraction. Thousands of carved motifs survive across the country, but their purpose and meaning remain open to interpretation.

The talk also considers how archaeological explanations have changed as research methods and perspectives have developed. That makes it more than a simple introduction to cup-and-ring marks: it is also about how archaeologists build and revise ideas about people who left no written explanation behind.

Venue & Booking

The event takes place at the City Art Centre on Market Street. It is free, but advance booking is available and makes sense for a one-hour talk with limited room capacity.

Use the official event listing for booking and the latest information.

Getting There

City Art Centre sits directly opposite Edinburgh Waverley Station, with Princes Street and the Old Town both close by. It is straightforward to reach by train, tram, or city-centre bus.

The 2pm start also leaves plenty of time to combine the talk with another museum, gallery, or Old Town stop before or afterwards.

Our Tips

• Reserve a free place ahead of the event.
• If Scottish archaeology interests you, allow time for another museum or heritage stop while you are in the centre.
• Arrive before 2pm so the one-hour session is not interrupted once it starts.