Summary
A rock art panel bearing two motifs of Neolithic/early Bronze Age date and an early medieval Runic inscription.
Reasons for Designation
The prehistoric rock art and early medieval Runic inscription in Lemmington Wood is scheduled for the following principal reasons:
* Survival: despite susceptibility to natural weathering, the rock art motifs are reasonably well-defined and the Runic inscription is readily legible;
* Documentation: early medieval society is poorly documented and no such evidence is available for prehistoric societies, hence the value of the archaeological remains of these periods to inform our understanding of their belief systems is particularly important;
* Diversity: this panel displays a complex arrangement of two linked motifs, enhanced by the survival of a later runic inscription;
* Potential: the panel will inform our knowledge of prehistoric and early medieval society through individual study of the motifs and runes and through an increased understanding of the circumstances in which they were created and used.
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
Description: the panel (ERA 579) is located on one of the highest parts of the fell sandstone group arc and commands extensive views; the panel measures 1.8m by 1m and is oriented east to west. On the flat part of the outcrop are two carved motifs; the first comprises a cup with a ring which is joined to a second cup which is surrounded by a complete ring and a second eroded ring or pennanular. About 30cm to the south on a sloping face of the same outcrop are three carved linear features which have been interpreted as an extremely rare example of runes in England. Experts in Runic inscriptions have interpreted the text as either ‘to leave or leave behind’, from the Old English verb laefen, or ‘a remnant or relic,’ from laf. An alternative is that they are Old Norse, from the noun lof, meaning ‘praise or permission,’ or laf, meaning ‘bread or sustenance.’
Sources
Websites http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/era/section/panel/overview.jsf?eraId=579 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.
End of official list entry
