Rock art

The National Monuments Service's description

Adjacent to secondary Ballydehob to Bantry road, overlooking Roaringwater Bay and 300m SE of similar site (CO131-039---). Rock outcrop, known locally as "The Rock of the Rings"; decorated with circles, complete and penannular, five cupmarks and some straight lines (Finlay 1973, 103-104).

See attached screenshots of 3D model of the rock art panel created by archaeology.ucc. 3D model can be accessed at the Sketchfab website: https://skfb.ly/SJNO

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 1: West Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1992). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

In improved pasture (59m OD), on a SE-facing slope, adjacent to W of a roadside boundary. Limited views from this location and overlooked by higher ground to NW. A smooth and fractured expanse of sandstone rock (dims. 8.00m N-S; 3.00m E-W) which is irregular in plan and has a flat decorated surface (dims. 7.50m N-S; 3m E-W) bearing motifs of varying size and form. The largest motifs consist of five oval and circular ringmarks: A sub-circular ringmark (overall dims. 49cm N-S; 47cm E-W; ring Wth 2.5cm; D 8mm) is to SW and a sub-oval ringmark (dims. 0.50m NNW-SSE; 0.46m WSW-ENE; ring Wth 3-3.5cm; D 9mm) is to NW of the decorated surface; A linear groove (L min. 27cm; Wth 1cm; D 2mm) is adjacent to W of latter. A relatively small, circular ringmark (dims. 30cm N-S; 28cm E-W) and an oval ringmark (dims. 54cm N-S; 64cm E-W) are adjacent to E; These motifs are linked by a gently curving groove; The latter intersects at a right angle, with a linear groove (L 90cm; Wth 2.5cm; D 3mm) which extends across W area of rock surface. A cupmark (diam. 6cm; D 9mm) is adjacent to S of the linear groove and a second cupmark (diam. 5.5cm; D 8mm) and a third cupmark (diam. 7cm; D 14mm) are adjacent to N. A linear rock fracture (long-axis N-S) extends across the rock, forming a division of the decorated surface. The largest oval ringmark (dims. 48cm N-S; 64cm E-W) is located adjacent to E of this natural fracture. An oval cupmark (overall dims. 5cm N-S; 8cm E-W; D 25mm) is located at perimeter, to N. A large sub-circular ringmark (dims. 0.33m N-S; 0.30m E-W) is to NE of decorated surface. It encloses a relatively small, central cupmark (diam. 5.5cm; D 5mm); A circular cupmark (diam. 5.5cm; D 6mm) is adjacent to SW. According to local information, this rock art panel is known as ‘The Rock of the Rings’.

Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly

Date of upload: 13 July 2017