Rock Art
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Rock Art of Ireland
Rock art is what we call the amazing variety of engravings on rocks, boulders and megalithic monuments throughout Ireland. It most often dates from the Neolthic or even earlier, and can be in the form of spirals, swirling lines, geometric forms, circles, sunbursts, arcs, dots, and many other abstract designs. It is closely associated with the great Neolithic civilisation that once ruled this land, as well as much of what is today the UK, France and Spain along their western Atlantic coastlines.
We do not know the purpose and reason for this art or what message its authors were trying to convey. Some have speculated that it is associated with astronomical events, with religious or magical ceremonies, it is commemorations of the reigns of great rulers, that it is an instruction manual or historical record of some kind, or that it marks boundaries, routeways and the borders of ancient lands, now long-forgotten.
Whatever the reality, it remains a source of wonder and fascination for all, and more of it is being discovered and uncovered even today. The earliest forms of rock art date back six thousand years ago, and can be found in Sligo, one of the first places Neolithic farmers put down roots. By far the most famous galleries of ancient Irish rock art are at Newgrange and nearby monuments, featuring a dazzling array of beautiful designs which evoke a sense of mystery.
Should you happen upon some rock art, the Heritage Council has released a rock art code:
- Always ask the landowner’s permission prior to entering their land.
- Always leave everything as you find it.
- Always close field gates behind you.
Many of these panels are obscured by vegetation and moss and lichen growth. Removal of biological growth can cause greater damage to the rock surface, so:
- Never remove lichen or grass sod covering the panel.
- Never use metal tools or stiff bristle brushes to clean the rock surface.
- Never use water to clean the rock surfaces. Instead, visit these sites after a rain shower.
- Never use chalk or other substances to outline the carvings.
- Never drive or walk over decorated surfaces.
- Never attempt to record panels using direct contact techniques (e.g. rubbing) as these can damage the carvings.
Rock Art in Ireland
The Boheh stone in the deepest west of Ireland is one of the finest examples of Neolithic rock art in Europe, over two hundred and fifty petroglyphs wrought by unknown hands on a natural outcrop of rock flecked with quartz stones, on the west side of a hill, facing the setting sun, around 3800 BC. Twice a year at sowing and harvest times this produ ... [more]