While everyone seems to be taking selfies these days, one amateur archaeologist believes he may have found Britain's first one.

Gordon Holmes stumbled across an ancient picture of a face etched into a 4,000-year-old rock on Baildon Moor in Yorkshire.

Mr Holmes believes that the carving was of the Stone Age artist himself.

Gordon Holmes stumbled across an ancient picture of a face etched into a 4,000-year-old rock on Baildon Moor in Yorkshire

BRONZE AGE CARVINGS IN YORKSHIRE Yorkshire is home to an array of mysterious symbols carved into the rock surfaces. These curious marks vary from simple, circular hollows known as 'cups' to more complex patterns with cups, rings, and intertwining grooves. Many are in elevated locations with extensive views but some are also found on monuments such as standing stones and stone circles, or within burial mounds. The carvings were made by Neolithic and Early Bronze Age people between 3,500 and 6,000 years ago. Advertisement

Mr Holmes said: 'I realised that I was looking at a Stone Age selfie.

'It also shows a stick figure, which I presume is the artist, sitting or standing in the local landscape or round a fire with almost like a speech bubble above their head showing Cassiopeia above him. It is as if he has carved a selfie of himself.

'I know there could be earlier interpretations of selfies, such as those drawn in hieroglyphics by the Ancient Egyptians, but this stone carving selfie on Baildon Moor may well be the earliest example in Britain.'

Mr Homes first became interested in the stones when his father pointed one out to him when he was 12.

The retired design engineer and IT technician has dedicated his life to studying the weathered ancient carvings.

He added: 'There are many cup and ring stones around the moors, carved into millstone grit.

Yorkshire is home to an array of mysterious symbols carved into the rock surfaces. These curious marks vary from simple, circular hollows known as 'cups' to more complex patterns with cups, rings, and intertwining grooves

Mr Holmes believes that the carving shows a stick figure, sitting or standing in the local landscape or round a fire

'But there are at least five such rocks with carvings representing aspects of the night sky which are on Baildon Moor.

'It seems that only Baildon Moor carvings correlated to patterns of star constellations.

'The other moors of Ilkley, Rivock Edge, Harden and Bingley only have the odd example of astronomical significance.

'What's more, these five appear to have a particular style, a bit like handwriting, and I am convinced they are by the same artist.

'My father said to me all those years ago that no-one knew what the markings were, so I made it a mission to find out. I discovered the carvings showed the Pole Star, Cassiopeia, Hyades and Pleiades.

'One particular stone shows Cassiopeia, distinctive in the night sky because it forms a clear 'W' shape.'

Mr Holmes is also interested in astronomy and has taught the subject at Bradford College.