- What is The Ancient Codex?
- A guide to ancient and deep-time places worth visiting — what they are, why they matter, and how to experience them with care. Where an archaeology database tells you a place exists, the Codex helps you decide whether to go, and how to make the visit meaningful.
- Which places are included?
- Standing stones, cairns, brochs, hillforts, carved stones, sacred places, old trees, ruins and other deep-time sites. The Codex began in Scotland and now gathers places across Britain and Ireland — a gathering of places worth the journey rather than an attempt at completeness.
- Where does the information come from?
- Places are compiled from open sources including Wikidata, Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Historic Environment Scotland and Geograph. Each place records the sources behind it. This material is not independently verified, so always check official sources and current access conditions before you travel.
- How are places chosen and ordered?
- By significance and by what makes a real visit worthwhile. Depth scales with a place's importance — some entries are brief markers, others are fuller accounts. Importance is felt through editorial hierarchy rather than shown as a public score.
- How does the Codex handle folklore and uncertain history?
- Carefully. What is said is labelled as what is said. Tradition and folklore are never dressed up as established fact, and contested claims are marked as contested. The aim is honest mystery, not false certainty.
- Why are some locations shown only by general area?
- Some sites are fragile, on private land, or vulnerable to damage. For these, the Codex shows a general area rather than exact coordinates, and gives access guidance instead of a precise route. Protecting a place comes before pinning it.
- Can I use the images?
- Place imagery is licensed from Wikimedia Commons, Geograph and Historic Environment Scotland under the licences stated on each page, with attribution. The licence and credit shown govern any reuse — the Codex cannot grant rights beyond them.
- I've spotted an error. How do I report it?
- Please tell us — corrections make the Codex better. Use the contact page (linked in the footer), name the place and what looks wrong, and we'll put it right. A public suggest-and-edit path is planned but not yet open.
- Does it cost anything, and do you track me?
- The Codex is free to read. It sets no tracking cookies and runs no advertising or third-party analytics.
- How do I contact you about something else?
- Use the contact page for anything that isn't a place correction — partnerships, sources, sensitive-site concerns, or general questions.
Still looking for something? Contact the Codex or read the methodology.