Are these prehistoric? | Forum — The Modern Antiquarian

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tiompan Jul 23, 2007 19:15:52

Replying to stubob

stubob wrote:

Hey up,

It don't bother me like..... they're something I'd go looking for myself...but are the markings prehistorically old?
The stone marked with the concentric squares is the 'board' for the ancient game of Nine Mens Morris....which with the arrow sharpening grooves kinda suggests bored medieval archers stood around waiting for their practice shots.
I realise the game is a lot older than medieval but still....

nice one
stu.

hello Stubob , there appears to be a few of them about but they have no association with which to suggest a date ., so take your pick .The ones I have seen would not have been used as sharpening stones .

H

Hob Jul 23, 2007 19:42:14

Replying to stubob

Eyup Mr Stu,

I'd have thought not, as the whole arrow sharpening thing obviously puts them well out of the usual timeframe for the C&R style rock art. But then they could be pre-roman iron age things, mebbe.

There's also some speculation that they may not have started off as arrow sharpeners. There's a prehistorically-prehistoric portable up in Dumfries & Galloway that has marks that look like they were made in the same way, but radiating out from a cup.

I

Idwal Jul 23, 2007 23:25:35

Replying to stubob

Hi Stubob,

The Gwynedd Archaeological Trust lists the arrow stone as prehistoric but the stone with concentric squares as Roman. I posted photos of both because they are so close together but I certainly don't think the squares one is any older than Roman and could indeed be much younger.

The whole subject of arrow stones is shrouded in uncertainty. I've now seen 7 different stones in the area south of Llanfairfechan. It's tempting to believe that because of their proximity to one another they must be of similar origins and age but the types of markings e.g. their depth and length are very different to one another. In fact the main thing that the 6 "arrow stones" have in common is their lack of any discernible pattern which perhaps led to the Victorians talking about arrow sharpening but I'm convinced that's a complete red herring. Mind you, I haven't got a better explanation!

When I've got a chance (perhaps in a month or so after moving to live in Germany) I'll have a good look through my photos and some others that Bill Chapman has sent me and try to make some more useful comparisons between them.

Idwal.