A very significant ancient cult stone – a cup-marked stone. The size of the stone: length of 1.70 m, width of 1.20 m, height of 0.85 m, circumference of 4.30 m. On the surface 32 cup marks have been discovered, mostly on one side of the stone and some also on the upper side. The depth of the cup marks is from 0.1 till 1.8 cm, on average about 0.4–0.6 cm. Though, as the stone had been moved, it is not known for sure in what place it originally was situated, but it is presumed that the cup marks were in its upper part. Red large crystal, slightly cracked, granite.
Narrative
The cup-marked stone is attributed to the Bronze Age or Iron Age. As regards reasons for carving the cup marks (hollows), the historians have made more than 30 different assumptions, out of which the most reliable ones are related to cult rituals held at such stones. This stone had been moved to that place from an unknown place of the nearby surroundings, because they wanted to carve a monument of the founder of the Stende Selection Station, but the cup marks were noticed.
The cup-marked stone was discovered in 2003 (J. Cepītis). As the cup-marked stone had been moved, it is available to the researchers only in terms of cup marks, but its initial, probably, archaeologically significant place and former location have been lost. This is an example how important it is to preserve ancient cult stones in their original locations.
