Cup marks and ring marks are a very interesting part of the study of Neolithic cultures. Cup marks are indentations in rock generally not more than a few inches across and varying depths. Ring marks are circles that sometimes accompany the cup marks. Often the rings are concentric. They are very definitely artificial. There is debate concerning whether the cup marks are "pecked" into the rock surface or drilled. Since cup marks are not particularly hard to make, we won't dwell on this point. What is most remarkable about cup and ring marks are the sheer numbers of them because they are found all over the world—probably in the millions. They seem to be in greatest abundance in Europe but are found all over Mexico, South America, China, Korea, Australia, Iran, Central Asia. The oldest cupmarks are found in India.
But what do the marks represent, how were they used? This is the subject of much speculation. Some believe they mark magnetic ley lines of the earth and believe the ancient peoples derived some sort of power from these lines. The proponents of this view are a little short on specifics. What sort of power was derived from these ley lines and how did the cup and ring marks help them to derive it?
A more sensible explanation of the marks is that they are astronomical. The cup marks represent stars, perhaps planets, sun and moon as well. The ring marks perhaps represent their circular trek through the heavens.
The other puzzler is how did these disparate cultures all decide to start making cupmarks in rock? the ones in Korea, for example, look similar to ones found in the U.K. but could the same peoples have made them? It doesn't seem likely but then what do we really know about our past?