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Three prehistoric carved rocks on Goldsborough Rigg, Cotherstone Moor, 860m SSE Pitcher House

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

Heritage Category:: Scheduled Monument
List Entry Number:: 1016598
Date first listed:: 15-Apr-1999

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Scheduled Monument
List Entry Number:: 1016598
Date first listed:: 15-Apr-1999

Location

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:: County Durham (Unitary Authority)
Parish:: Cotherstone
National Grid Reference:: NY 95714 17705

Reasons for Designation

Prehistoric rock art is found on natural rock outcrops in many areas of upland Britain. It is especially common in the north of England in Northumberland, Durham and North and West Yorkshire. The most common form of decoration is the `cup and ring' marking where expanses of small cup-like hollows are pecked into the surface of the rock. These cups may be surrounded by one or more `rings'. Single pecked lines extending from the cup through the `rings' may also exist, providing the design with a `tail'. Pecked lines or grooves can also exist in isolation from cup and ring decoration. Other shapes and patterns also occur, but are less frequent. Carvings may occur singly, in small groups, or may cover extensive areas of rock surface. They date to the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age periods (2800-c.500 BC) and provide one of our most important insights into prehistoric `art'. The exact meaning of the designs remains unknown, but they may be interpreted as sacred or religious symbols. Frequently they are found close to contemporary burial monuments and the symbols are also found on portable stones placed directly next to burials or incorporated in burial mounds. Around 800 examples of prehistoric rock-art have been recorded in England. This is unlikely to be a realistic reflection of the number carved in prehistory. Many will have been overgrown or destroyed in activities such as quarrying. All positively identified prehistoric rock art sites exhibiting a significant group of designs will normally be identified as nationally important.

The carvings on the three rocks on Goldsborough Rigg, Cotherstone Moor, 860m SSE of Pitcher House survive well and they are some of several carved rocks in the Goldsborough area. They will therefore contribute to the study of prehistoric carved rocks.

Details

The monument includes three prehistoric carved rocks on Goldsborough Rigg, overlooking Goldsborough Carr, Cotherstone Moor. The easternmost rock measures 2.3m by 1.9m by 0.3m high, and has many cups, at least six of them with rings, and several grooves. The middle rock is 7m to the west and is mainly covered by turf. The visible part measures 0.7m by 0.4m by 0.15m high. The carving consists of at least one cup under the turf. The westernmost rock is partly covered by turf. It is level with the ground and the visible part measures 0.7m by 0.5m. The carving is partly obscured by the turf, and consists of at least five cups, at least one of which has a ring, and at least one groove.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 5 metre boundary around the archaeological features, considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:: 31789
Legacy System:: RSM

Sources

Other
Beckensall, S and Laurie, T , Prehistoric Rock Art of County Durham Swaledale and Wensleydale, forthcoming
Beckensall, S and Laurie, T , Prehistoric Rock Art of County Durham Swaledale and Wensleydale, forthcoming
Beckensall, S and Laurie, T , Prehistoric Rock Art of County Durham Swaledale and Wensleydale, forthcoming
Beckensall, S and Laurie, T , Prehistoric Rock Art of County Durham Swaledale and Wensleydale, forthcoming

Legal

This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.