“The Cochno Stone and Faifley Rocks! Community archaeology and rock art” - Dr Kenny Brophy

April 2021’s monthly UHI Archaeology Institute research seminar.

Faifley, West Dunbartonshire, has one of the richest concentrations of cup-and-ring marks in central Scotland, all on the urban fringe. The most significant site is the Cochno Stone, a large sandstone outcrop with hundreds of symbols carved onto it – from the Neolithic rock-art through to 20th century graffiti.

The stone was buried by the heritage authorities in 1965 due to damage caused by visitors but was briefly uncovered in 2016, which revived interest in the other rock-art sites in the area.

This led to a project called Faifley Rocks! – a collaboration between Knowes Housing Association and the University of Glasgow, with many other local partners and schools becoming involved through time.

In this talk, Dr Kenny Brophy, a senior lecturer in archaeology at Glasgow University, explores the social value of the rock-art to the Faifley community, outlines work done to date and plans for urban regeneration through prehistory.