Strange "Pattern" on Rock

littlemac1980

Hey, I came across a very odd pattern on a Rock over the weekend.

It appears to me based on the location of the rock and somewhat apparently organic nature of the pattern, that it is very unlikely to have been deliberately marked like this.

The rock is exposed in a very shallow drain on the side of a hill/mountain.

I took some photos as best I could - which was a bit difficult because of the flow of water over the rock which was reflecting the light.

Here are the two best I could get:








The Coin is a 50 cent piece to give an idea of the scale.

Does anyone have any idea what it is - is it possibly a fossil?

littlemac1980

Photos

Apologies - I will have to try put up the second photo later - Boards isn't working right still it seems - so I've tried and tried but the attachments aren't functioning correctly.

Linnaeus

Hello littlemac,

I can't download the images from my PC...If I could get a better look at the original rock, I'd probably be able to tell you whether the concentric circles were manmade or produced as impressions by invertebrates when the rock was still mud, clay or some other soft substance.

Could you please let me know if the rock is sandstone, limestone, something else? If of volcanic origin, there's not much likelihood of the circles being made by animals.

Concentric circles, carved or incised into rock, are a typical feature of the Megalithic Age; they were most prevalent in the Neolithic. One theory is that they may represent planetary systems. Many ancient peoples, including and perhaps especially the Celts, had surprisingly sophisticated centres for astronomical observation; some scholars claim that they had inherited knowledge from time immemorial concerning the correct position of stars, planets and moons.

Therefore, the stone you've found might represent an ancient planetary chart, with the innermost circle being the system's supporting star.

MeteoritesEire

it's interesting--quite curious-where exactly is it?
would like to see more pics of the area etc
as you state it looks naturally occuring

MeteoritesEire

it's interesting--quite curious-where exactly is it?
would like to see more pics of the area etc
as you state it looks naturally occuring

EngineerX

Fossilised tree??

Linnaeus

Yes, it's possible that what we have here is a fossilized segment of a tree trunk with annual rings...Although these usually appear as flatter and smoother. The photo posted on this board seems to reveal deeper furrows, suggesting mechanical incision of some kind.

I repeat once again, if I could see this rock from close up, I could determine better what it represents.