Sculptor's Cave facts for kids
The Sculptor's Cave is a cool sandstone cave found on the coast of Scotland. It's located near a small village called Covesea, between Burghead and Lossiemouth in an area known as Moray. The cave gets its name from the amazing carvings found on its walls. These carvings were made by the Picts, an ancient people who lived in Scotland a long time ago.
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What Makes the Cave Special?
The Sculptor's Cave is famous for its unique carvings. These designs were carved into the rock near the cave's entrances. There are seven different groups of carvings. They were made around the 6th or 7th century. Some of the designs are simple, while others are more detailed. You can see shapes like fish, crescent moons with V-rods, five-pointed stars (pentacles), triple ovals, steps, rectangles, and even flower and mirror patterns.
Exploring the Cave
This cave is quite large! It goes back about 20 meters (about 65 feet) and is 13.5 meters (about 44 feet) wide. The roof of the cave is also very high, reaching 5.5 meters (about 18 feet). You can get into the cave through two long passages. Each passage is about 11 meters (about 36 feet) long and 2 to 3 meters (6 to 10 feet) wide. The cave sits at the bottom of tall cliffs, which are about 30 meters (almost 100 feet) high. Because of its location, it can be hard to reach the cave when the tide is high.
Discoveries Inside the Cave
The Sculptor's Cave has been studied by archaeologists. An archaeologist named Sylvia Benton was one of the first to dig there between 1928 and 1930. She found proof that people used the cave during two main periods in history.
Ancient Times in the Cave
The first time people used the cave was during the late Bronze Age. This was a very long time ago, when people used tools made of bronze. The second period of activity was during the late Roman Iron Age. This was between the 2nd and 4th centuries AD, when the Roman Empire was powerful and people used iron tools. These discoveries help us learn about the ancient people who lived in Scotland.
See also
In Spanish: Cueva del Escultor para niños
