The Ludovic technique: the painting of the Cochno Stone, West Dunbartonshire

Abstract

The painting of the Cochno Stone rock-art panel, West Dunbartonshire, in 1937 by Ludovic McLellan Mann is one of the most eccentric acts in the history of archaeology in Scotland. Despite publishing widely and being a compulsive user of newspapers to publicise and report on his activities, Mann left very few direct clues to explain what the grid and symbols he painted onto the Cochno Stone meant. This paper describes the different elements of Mann's paintjob based on historic photography and observations made during the brief uncovering of the Cochno Stone in 2016. The logic underpinning the multiple elements of this painted scheme, including two different grids, is explored with reference to other works published by Mann and his broader body of research. It is argued that Mann saw the arrangement of rock-art symbols carved into the Cochno Stone as a microcosm of a Neolithic cosmological scheme and associated with the documentation of and prediction of eclipses. The paper concludes with reflection on the legacy of this act.