Re: Rock Art of South Leinster - RSAI talk | Forum

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Rock Art of South Leinster — RSAI talk

Rockrich Oct 25, 2007 20:17:14

Replying to FourWinds

FourWinds wrote:

Rockrich wrote:

bawn79 wrote:

Does anyone have any tips for searching for new rock-art in an area that already is know to have rock-art?

Is there a list of things to do like time of day etc?

You’re best friend when searching for rock art is usually the topography & carving tradition. Look at the known carvings in the area & their positions in the landscape, are there any similarities i.e. positioned nr streams / springs, in valleys, on terraces, sheltered areas at the foot of inclines, on knolls / raised areas, close to other archaeological features such as cairns etc. Do the motifs appear on specific surfaces of stones i.e. vertical, flat or sloping (in some areas they only appear on surfaces that slope towards the valley), are they carved on bedrock or free standing boulders (large or small).

Doing this you’ll notice certain patterns emerge & it’ll assist in locating others.

This has only ever worked for me on a very local scale, but then I haven't done anywhere near as much as some you folks when it comes to rock art. The Louth panels I visited recently were on very similar outcrops and those at Derrynablaha tend to be on east-facing sloping surfaces.

I'm off on a Donegal bullaun and RA hunt this weekend. Hurrah! I love bank holiday weekends!

FW, at Derrynablaha is a river/watercourse in a valley to the east?

CianMcLiam Oct 25, 2007 22:54:35

Replying to Rockrich

There is a large stream to the east of the carvings, in the valley floor, and there's nothing marked on the survey maps further east of this watercourse.

There's also a spectacular mountain pass to the east with a lake in front of it. This is taken looking south east but you can see the valley floor and part of the pass to the east. Oddly enough, this is the only panel I found that doesn't face the same direction as the rest, though it may not be earthfast. http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/post/57228/images/derrynablaha_f.html

FourWinds Oct 26, 2007 05:33:05

Replying to Rockrich

The Derrynablaha panels line the valley floor and the western slopes. The most popular type of surface chosen seems to be raised sloping surfaces. I will correct my previous statement - the panels mainly slope steeply and face east or gently and face west. The west facing ones are on the upper slopes, so that when you look at the carved surface you see this ...

http://www.megalithomania.com/show/image/7384
http://www.megalithomania.com/show/image/4977 (through the mist)
http://www.megalithomania.com/show/image/4946

The valley floor ones are split between being beside streams and not, but older watrecourses may have passed them before the peat rose. They all have a view to the mountain pass - http://www.megalithomania.com/show/image/7378 , but not all can see the lake. There are several places in the valley where the pass isn't visible and the RA stops short of these places.

This valley needs someone to spend a year down there watching that mountain pass from the panels. If it wasn't in the arse end of nowhere I'd do it. I'd love to see what happens to the surface of that lough when the equinox sun rises through the valley.