Rock art on Amersidelaw, 290m north west of Drakestruther Moss

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.

The rock art on Amersidelaw was discovered by a local shepherd and recorded by Stan Beckensall in 1982 in advance of afforestation. It was re-surveyed by The Northumberland and Durham Rock Art Project (NADRAP) between 2005 and 2008.

Details

Principal elements: rock art comprising two panels of Neolithic/early Bronze Age date (approximately 3800 BC to 1500 BC).

Description: two panels of a total of four, situated on Amersidelaw, a peninsular-like projection of the main Fell Sandstone Group ridge to the west; it is roughly flat-topped with steep slopes to the north, west and south with the rock art panels found above the slopes. The ground falls away more gently to the east, before rising to the main ridge.

The first panel (ERA 730) occupies an exposed area of bedrock and is about 1m square; the unusual motif consists of a rectangular groove 0.66 x 0.5 m, enclosing an almost square groove, which is truncated by a lower bedding plane on the north east corner. Within the square, are four clear cups which appear to be joined by grooves forming a ‘tree of life’ pattern connected to the square. Between the square and outer rectangular groove are what are thought to be two further cups. The second panel (ERA 200) lies about 1m south west and is on a slightly higher bedding plane; the motifs here consist of two curving grooves, utilising a natural ridge on the stone, to enclose five cups linked by linear grooves. There appears to be a break between the two curving grooves on the eastern side. Two areas of natural pitting are to the east of the carving. A circular carving identified by Beckensall lies to the south east beneath vegetation.

Extent of scheduling: circular with a diameter of 10m to enclose the full extent of both panels and the surrounding archaeologically sensitive areas.

Sources

Books and journals
Beckensall, S, Prehistoric Rock Motifs of Northumberland Volume 1, (1991), 51; 57
Beckensall, S, Northumberland's Prehistoric Rock Carvings: A Mystery Explained , (1983), 163-66
Mazel, et al (eds), Art as Metaphor: The Prehistoric Rock-Art of Britain, (2007)

Websites
, accessed from http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/era/section/access/results.jsf

Other
Northumberland HER ID: 3436, 3437,3438,

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