Re: Ta :) | Forum — The Modern Antiquarian

Toor 1

Heymonheyehgorrenny pikchaz?

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FourWinds Sep 10, 2006 22:23:25

Replying to Rockrich

With many of these the cups seem to be along a fault line like this one: http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/post/41209

This either means they are quarry marks and were put across the fault to make breaking it easier, or they are enhancements to the fault. Thanks for pointing those out. Until now I thought they were unique to Co. Wicklow.

These ones seem to be on a fault.

StoneLifter Sep 11, 2006 06:15:43

Replying to FourWinds

The boundary between natural and artificial is very diffuse with rock carving. What the ancients made of fossils is anyone's guess, really. These elongated 'slots' appear in grit stones where fossilised mussels have been bedded. Mussels are strange creatures - I've kept freshwater specimens as pets - and, perhaps, line up for some strange reason. The fossilised slots are discoloured and tight when the rock is split - the boat-shaped cupmarks, if indeed that is what they are, have been worked slightly, losing the dark colouration. I have a fossilised mussel - if anyone fancies trying it for fit - Cinderella style - with these cupmarks.

Rockrich Sep 11, 2006 07:59:08

Replying to FourWinds

Where you get elongated cuts that have vertical sides & are roughly equally spaced, they're probably feathering marks. I've got some more pics of panels with feathering marks, will post them soon.