Summary
Prehistoric rock art comprising two panels of Neolithic/early Bronze Age date (approximately 3800 BC to 1500 BC).
Reasons for Designation
REASONS FOR DESIGNATION DECISION:
The prehistoric rock art 290m north west of Drakestruther Moss is scheduled for the following principal reasons:
* Survival: despite their susceptibility to natural weathering, these rock art panels are reasonably well preserved and the motifs are clearly defined;
* Documentation: ritual and religious sites of Prehistoric Britain are without contemporary documentation and hence the value of the archaeological remains as our only evidence of their belief systems is enhanced;
* Potential: these are unusual rectangular and curving motifs, which will contribute to our knowledge of prehistoric society through their individual study and through an increased understanding of the circumstances in which rock art was created and used;
* Group value: this is one of four panels identified on Amersidelaw, which taken as a group, will enhance both our understanding of the inter-relationships between individual panels, and their relationship to the wider landscape.
History
The term prehistoric rock art is most commonly applied to a specific style of carvings created in the Neolithic and early Bronze Age (approximately 3800 BC to 1500 BC). This type of carving shares a limited set of motifs, with numerous variations around the main themes, and is found throughout northern Europe in a wide range of contexts, from isolated natural outcrops to burial cairns and standing stones. The most common form of motifs are the simple ‘cup mark’ (a shallow bowl-shaped depression a few centimetres across) and the ‘cup and ring’ (a cup mark surrounded by one or more concentric circular grooves); many carvings also incorporate or are framed within linear grooves. Other shapes and patterns such as keyholes and rosettes also occur, but are less frequent. Motifs may occur singly, in small groups, or may cover extensive areas of rock surface. The exact meaning of the designs remains unknown and a wide range of interpretations have been suggested, but they appear to be abstract and held some unknown, possibly sacred meaning for those who created and observed them. Over 5000 separate rock art sites are known in Britain of which more than half are in England and while some examples do occur further south, they are mainly confined to the upland areas of the north.
Details
Principal elements: rock art comprising two panels of Neolithic/early Bronze Age date (approximately 3800 BC to 1500 BC).
Sources
Books and journals Websites http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/era/section/access/results.jsf Other
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.
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