Issue No.

17: Spring 2017

Issue No. 17: April 2017

Dear All,
In uncertain times its sometimes good to have the perspective of the longue dure, and a reminder that the human species can
have an enduring and positive effect on the world, creating legacies that have outlived thousands of years of destructive forces.
In this issue we have updates from George Nash on the activities of the Welsh Rock Art Organisation, a visit to the Isle of Man
with Rachel Crellin, and a provocative look at the way hands are studied within the corpus of Palaeolithic art by James Walker,
David Clinnick and Jan Pedersen. We also bring you a second instalment of Motifs by Moonlight by Cezary Namirski, the man
under the tarpaulin!
Dont forget: if you are involved in any rock art related activities and would like to share your experiences just drop me a line.

Kate

April 2017
kesharpe@outlook.com

Contents:
New British discoveries: new finds from Kerry and Cumbria ...................................................................... 1
British rock art news: an update from Wales ............................................................................................ 2
World rock art on the web: international news and links ........................................................................... 4
BRAG in Anglesey (Advert) ....................................................................................................................... 5
Rock art Research on the Central Negev by George Nash .................................................................... 6
Report on the UNESCO Conference on Rock Art, Mongolia by George Nash....................................... 6
New rock art research on the Isle of Man by Rachel Crellin................................................................. 7
Rock art abstracts: headlines from the journals ........................................................................................ 9
As clear as the hand in front of your face? by James Walker, David Clinnick and Jan Pedersen .... 10
Motifs by Moonlight - Part 2 by Cezary Namirski ................................................................................ 12
Fieldwork in Valcamonica (Advert) ........................................................................................................ 13
Rock art reads ....................................................................................................................................... 14
Dates for your diary ............................................................................................................................... 15
Inspired by rock art ............................................................................................................................... 15

NEW BRITISH DISCOVERIES

County Kerry. Regular

RA contributor Aoibheann
Lambe sent this fantastic
image of a new year find
from Kerry. The off-
centre cups got us
thinking about symmetry
in cups and rings

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 Issue No. 17: Spring 2017

Gillalees Beacon, Cumbria

A number of panels have been previously
recorded at Gillalees in north eastern Cumbria,
but a researcher from Newcastle University
has found some more. During fieldwork to
record medieval settlement to the south of
Bewcastle, Dr Caron Newman found several
new cup-marked panels and one striking cup
and ring mark.

Image: Caron Newman

BRITISH ROCK ART NEWS: Projects, publications, and people

In this issue we have several updates from contributor George Nash on the activities of the Welsh Rock Art Organisation.

Geochemistry at Cathole Cave, Gower

It has been a busy twelve months for members of the Welsh Rock Art Organisation
(WRAO). Towards the end of 2016, Dr George Nash and an international team of
scientists from the Geosciences Unit at IPT in Portugal and a laboratory team from
the University of Ferrara, Italy undertook fieldwork at Cathole Cave on the Gower
Peninsula in South Wales. Previous investigations within one of the side chambers at
Cathole Cave had revealed several rock engravings dating from the Late Upper
Palaeolithic that included a stylised cervid, possibly a reindeer. This engraving was
successfully dated using uranium-series disequilibrium dating. In addition, and in
advance of the erection of a protective steel grille in 2014, several archaeological
trenches had revealed contemporary evidence of anthropogenic and
palaeozoomorphic activity which probably dates from a period when much of the
northern and western parts of the British Isles was covered by ice. In November
2010, at the same time as the discovery of the cervid, the team director (GHN)
observed a possible haematite (Fe203) spread that occupied a small section of the
western wall of the main gallery of the cave. It was considered at the time that this
was either the result of either natural secretion from the substrate or it that had
been applied via human agency. No other haematite spreads existed within this
particular cave, although haematite is common throughout the limestone caves of
the Gower Peninsula.

In 2015, the Welsh heritage agency Cadw awarded a

generous grant for the possible haematite spread to be
sampled and chemically analysed and for an overlying
speleothem to be dated, again using uranium-series
disequilibrium dating. The results of the fieldwork and
laboratory analysis included Raman Spectrometry and
Scanning Electron Microscope analysis (SEM), and so far
confirm that the samples taken from Cathole Cave were
haematite; however, the organic constituents present
are not yet known: only lipid analysis will reveal this.
Any organic traces within the haematite recipe will prove
(or disprove) the possibility of human agency. The cervid
engraving (along with other yet-to-be-published rock
art) ties in chronologically with the artefact assemblage
from this cave, making the rock art the earliest yet
discovered in the British Isles (although this is disputed
by some members of the rock art community). The
WRAO team sincerely thank Cadw for their very
generous grant.

Read more in: Nash, G.H., Garcs, S., Gomes, H., Nicoli, M., Rosina, P., Vaccoro, C., Volpe, L. 2016. Assessing the geochemistry of
possible inorganic applied pigments within Cathole Cave, Gower Peninsula, South Wales. University of Bristol Speleological Society
Proceedings 27(1), 8193.
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 Issue No. 17: Spring 2017

Fieldwork at the Neolithic burial-Ritual monument of Trellyffaint, Pembrokeshire

Members of the WRAO have

also been involved in a series of
non-intrusive surveys in and
around the Neolithic burial-ritual
site of Trellyffaint. The site is in
northern Pembrokeshire, SW
Wales (NGR SN08224252). The
fieldwork on this rare, double-
chambered monument was
undertaken in December 2016.
The initial stage of the project
included a detailed desk-based
assessment, a geophysical
magnetometry survey, and
earthwork and monument
surveys. The results showed
significant geophysical
anomalies around the
monument which will hopefully
be resolved through targeted
excavation.

Unique to this monument is that

one of the capstones has
engraved on its upper capstone
surface multiple cupmarks, one
of only nine Neolithic burial-
ritual monuments in the
western British Isles that has
this phenomenon. It was
previously considered that there
were around 35+ cupmarks,
many of them eroded, on top of the capstone. Our survey has, however, recorded 50+ cupmarks and has also identified several
linear patterns, captured when the capstone was photographed in darkness hours using an oblique light source. We will
undertake a resistivity survey in April 2017. The results from all the non-intrusive surveys will hopefully lead to a targeted
excavation programme in 2018 which will focus on several circular featurespossibly hengiformsthat have been identified by
our geophysics team of Phil Dell and Les Dobbs.

For further information on this and other projects organised by the WRAO, email george.h.nash@hotmail.com

If you would like to submit an article to Rock Articles please contact me at kesharpe@outlook.com.

Feature articles. Contributions are invited for articles on all aspects of Rock Art in Britain and Ireland, including recording
techniques, interpretation, management, presentation, education, and conservation. We are keen to hear about any community
projects, heritage initiatives, new techniques, new research, and to provide a forum for anyone with an interest in rock art.
Perhaps you have been to a conference and could write a report, or have participated in a workshop or training event? Articles
should be 750-1000 words, and should include at least two images (for which you should have permission).

New Discoveries. If you have identified any new rock art and would like to feature your find in the New Discoveries section of
Rock Articles, get in touch, with a photograph of your find. Please note that grid references will not be included in Rock Articles.
Finds should be reported to and verified by the relevant local authority HER officer.

British Rock Art News. Do you have some news about your project, or an update on a particular panel that you can fit into
less than 200 words? Why not share it RA readers?

Inspired by Rock Art? Rock art often inspires creative responses. Have cup and ring marks fired your imagination? If so wed
love to see your work!

Events and opportunities. Are you running an event that might be of interest to RA readers? Let us know about any talks,
conferences, or guided walks. Maybe you are looking for participants for a community project? Advertise here and use the RA
network to spread the word.

Submission deadline for Rock Articles No. 18: 15th Sept 2017

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 Issue No. 17: Spring 2017

WORLD ROCK ART on the WEB

News from Israel, Tibet, India, and Egypt.

Rock art found on a 4,000-year-old dolmen in the Galilee

A team of archaeologists from Tel Hai College, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
and the Israel Antiquities Authority discovered the dolmen near Kibbutz Shamir in
the upper Galilee. "This is the first art ever documented in a dolmen in the Middle
East," said IAA archaeologist Uri Berger, who took part in the study. "The engraved
shapes depict a straight line going to the centre of an arc. No parallels exist for
these shapes in the engraved rock drawings of the Middle East, and their
significance remains a mystery."
To read more and see a video go to:
www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/israel/2017/march/archaeologists-discover-4-000-year-old-rock-art
Full article: Sharon, G. et al., 2017. Monumental megalithic burial and rock art tell a
new story about the Levant Intermediate Bronze Dark Ages. PLoS ONE 12(3):
e0172969. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0172969 Image: Gonen Sharon/Tel Hai College

Rock art discovered in Tibet

China Daily reports that eight new rock art sites have been found in Tibet by a
team of more than 20 researchers from the Tibetology Institute at Sichuan
University. The sites are thought to be more than 1,000 years old. Researcher
Zhang Yanqing explains: They include cliff-side carvings, circular engraved statues,
ancient Tibetan texts, and Mani stones. Zhang thinks the petroglyphs, which
reflect Indian and Chinese influences, were created during the reigns of kings
Trisong Detsan (AD 755-797) and Tride Songtsan (AD 798-815). As both Buddhist
art and a historical find, these carvings are of great value and should be protected,
he said.
Source: http://www.archaeology.org/news/5250-170203-tibet-rock-art
Image: China Daily

Third petroglyph site found in Southern India

Some 123 years after a British police officer, Fred Fawcett, discovered the famous
Edakkal Caves and their Neolithic petroglyphs, another important prehistoric rock
art site has been identified in the foothills of the Ambukuthi hills in Wayanad district
of Kerala. The site was discovered by independent researcher, writer and national
award-winning filmmaker O.K. Johnny who, in 1984, also discovered petroglyphs at
Thovari hillocks. He believes the three sites are related: The Ambukuthi valley
engravings have a striking similarity to the Thovari carvingsin their style,
motifs and workmanship. Both in Thovari and in the Ambukuthi valley, there are no
human or animal figures in motion as seen in the Edakkal caves. Like in Thovari,
Ambukuthi valley engravings are abstract and made of thick long lines.
New petroglyphs in the Ambukuthi hills. Image:
Read more at: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/A-21st-century-find-spotlights- The Hindu
prehistoric-rock-art/article17183867.ece

Neolithic petroglyphs found in Egypt

Egyptologists at the University of Bonn uncovered rock art from the 4th millennium
BC during an excavation at a necropolis near Aswan in Egypt. The engraved art
depicts hunting scenes like those found in shamanic depictions. Although some are
clearly Egyptian in terms of iconography and style, others are clearly earlier and
may represent a link between the Neolithic period and Ancient Egyptian culture.
The discovery earned the scientists an award from the Minister of Antiquities in
Cairo for one of the current ten most important archaeological discoveries in Egypt

Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2017-03-egyptian-ritual-images-neolithic-

period.html#jCp
Hunting scene. Image: David Sabel

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New rock art research on the Isle of Man

Rachel Crellin

The Isle of Man, located in the centre of the British Isles, is often missed off many archaeological distribution maps and
frequently escapes mention in regional prehistory accounts. Yet, located between England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the
island has been subject to multiple influences and has an interesting, important and unique prehistory. The island has a good
number of cup-marked rock panels, and cup-marked stones are included in some Early Bronze Age burials, as well as at the site
of Ballakelly.

Meayll Peninsula. Image: Rachel Crellin

The greatest concentration of cup marks is found on the

Meayll peninsula in the south of the island. The area
boasts stunning views across to the smaller island, the
Calf of Man, and on clear days one can see England,
Wales and Ireland on the horizon. The local geology is
slate and it outcrops in laminated beds, the cup marks can
be hard to spot when the heather, gorse and lichens are
in full bloom. Some of the rock art panels on the
peninsular are located within the promontory fort Burroo
Ned.

Last year myself and Jenny Woodcock published a basic

catalogue of the cup-marks from the Meayll Peninsula on
the Isle of Man in the journal Isle of Man Studies. Jenny
was the driving force behind a survey carried out on the
Meayll in the 1990s by the Centre for Manx Studies. This
study complements and enhances the data from Darvill
and OConnors 2005 article in Proceedings of the
114 cup-marks spread across 13
Prehistoric Society. The Meayll survey identified 114 cup- different sites
marks spread across 13 different sites; many of these
sites have excellent intervisibility.

In the summer 2016 I was lucky enough to take Andy Jones and Marta Diaz Guardamino around the Isle of Man
showing them the prehistoric megaliths and rock art panels. During the week we were able to take advantage of
Martas exceptional digital photography and recording skills. She used RTI recording to create brilliant images of a cup-
marked panel built into the sea wall at Niarbyl.

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 Issue No. 17: Spring 2017

RTI: Default image

RTI: Diffuse grain
RTI: Spectacular enhancement

Cup marks at Niarbyl recorded using reflectance transformation imaging

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 Issue No. 17: Spring 2017

Report on the UNESCO Conference on Rock Art, Ulaanbaatar (UB), Mongolia, 30th-31st May, 2016
from George Nash

In May last year I was invited, along with a group of

international researchers, to join scholars from Mongolia to
participate in a conference on rock art, with a particular focus
on history, memory and dialogue. This international event was
held in Ulaanbaatar, under the auspices of the Mongolian
Presidents Office and UNESCO. It was revealed in the
President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj's opening speech that he too
had a genuine interest in rock art (a rare admission from a
politician).

International experts from Australia, Azerbaijan, China, Japan,

Senegal, South Korea, Spain, Russia, the United Kingdom and
USA and around 40 researchers from various Mongolian
research institutes and universities as well as representatives
of UNESCO, CIPSH and IFRAO contributed positively to a well-
organised and intellectually-stimulating event.

I will be travelling back to Mongolia in July 2018 to record

rock art along the western borderlands between Mongolia and
Russia. Further reports to follow!

ROCK ART READS: new and forthcoming publications

Art and Architecture in Neolithic The White Lady and Atlantis:

Orkney, Antonia Thomas
Archaeopress, 45 (paperback)
This book offers a ground-breaking
analysis of Neolithic art and
architecture in Orkney. Focussing
upon the incredible collection of
hundreds of decorated stones being
revealed by the current excavations
at the Ness of Brodgar, it details the
results of the authors original
fieldwork both there and at the
contemporary sites of Maeshowe and Skara Brae, all within
the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site.
www.archaeopress.com/ArchaeopressShop/Public/displayProduct
Detail.asp?id={A9758D28-EB53-4F53-AE25-533206C17D44}
Ophir and Great Zimbabwe, Jean-
Loc Le Quelle. Archaeopress, 45
(paperback)
This meticulous investigation, based
around a famous rock image, the
White Lady, makes it possible to take
stock of the mythical presuppositions
that infuse a great deal of scientific
research, especially in the case of
rock art studies. It also highlights the
existence of some surprising bridges
between scholarly works and literary or artistic productions
(novels, films, comic strips, adventure tales).
www.archaeopress.com/ArchaeopressShop/Public/displayProduct
Detail.asp?id={FA9180E9-F316-4DEB-99EB-C8300A31A268}

Cave Art (World of Art), David
Bruno
Thames and Hudson, $24.95
(paperback)
David tells the story of the mysterious
world of decorated caves, from the
oldest known painting tools to the
magnificent murals of the European
Ice Age. Showcasing the most
astounding discoveries made in more
than 150 years of archaeological
exploration, Cave Art explores the
creative achievements of our remotest ancestors and what
they tell us about the human past.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/books/cave-art-softcover
Myths about Rock Art, Robert
Bednarik. Archaaopress,
Rather than considering the myths
supposedly depicted in the worlds
rock art, this book examines the
myths archaeologists and others have
created about the meanings and
significance of rock art. The book
presents a comprehensive catalogue
of falsities claimed about palaeoart,
and it endeavours to explain how
these arose, and how they can be
guarded against by recourse to basic principles of science.
www.archaeopress.com/ArchaeopressShop/Public/displayProduct
Detail.asp?id={78640B0D-E237-46DF-BB0D-86F6C337EF38}

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 Issue No. 17: Spring 2017

Rock art research on the Central Negev

Dr George Nash, along with

Israeli colleagues Davida
Eisenberg-Degen and Joshura
Schimdt, have undertaken
fieldwork within the Central
Negev Desert. Particular focus
has been given to 19th and
20th century Bedouin marks
and has resulted in the
publication of a number of
papers. In 2018, Nash and
Eisenberg-Degen will switch
their attentions to zoomorphic
figures, in particular prehistoric
and proto-historic engravings of
camelids. For this work we will
team-up with Chilean colleague
Andres Troncoso (from the
University of Sanitago) who will
be looking at camelid
engravings in central Chile. The
team will be looking at a
comparative analysis between
these two diverse regions of the
world.
Watch this space!

Read more in:

Eisenburg-Degan, D. & Nash, G.H. 2014. Hunter and gender as reflected in the Central Negev rock art, Israel. Time & Mind 7(3): 5977.
Schmidt, J., Eisenberg-Degen, D. Nash, G.H. 2015. Inscribing history: the social-historic pragmatism of the Negev Bedouin symbols.
Negev, Dead Sea and Arava Studies 7 (4): 7582.

INSPIRED BY ROCK ART

Rock art images may once have been used to

decorate a variety of surfaces, including textiles and,
of course skin. Tattooing has been practiced across
the globe since at least Neolithic times, and possibly
since the Upper Palaeolithic period in Europe. The
oldest tattooed human skin found to date is on the
body of tzi the Iceman (3370-3100), but other
tattooed mummies have been recovered from
Greenland, Alaska, Siberia, Mongolia, western China,
Egypt, Sudan, the Philippines, and the Andes.
A recent competition in Spain suggests the practice is
alive and well within the archaeological community,
with an array of tattoos inspired by rock art from
tiny figures to large polychrome animals. Take a look
at the Arqueologia Paleorama EnRed Facebook page
Maybe you will be inspired to have a go!

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 Issue No. 17: Spring 2017

Rock Art Abstracts: Headlines from recent journal papers. What are researchers currently thinking
about? (Full papers available online with subscription)

Human figures on a Neolithic Multidisciplinary approach to Chronological context for

sherd from Iran
Amongst the ceramic material
excavated at Tepe Baluch, a Neolithic
settlement on the Neyshabur Plain in
north-east Iran, is a sherd decorated
with two (possibly three) human
figures. For this date and region, such
iconography is rare; this article
explores its significance.
Sabori, H., Khorasani, M.N. &
Bolandi, R. 2017. Human motifs at
Neolithic Tepe Baluch, north-east
Iran, Antiquity 91(355). doi:
10.15184/aqy.2016.251.
chronology in Libya
Primary environmental and climatic
evidence, 14C dates, stratigraphy and
other archaeological indicators are
considered with a systematic analysis
of the relative sequence of rock art
styles derived from superimpositions
and weathering.
Riemer, H., Krpelin, S. & Zboray,
A. 2017. Climate, styles and
archaeology: an integral approach
towards an absolute chronology of
the rock art in the Libyan Desert
(Eastern Sahara), Antiquity 91(355):
723. doi: 10.15184/aqy.2016.252.
Blackfoot rock art
The authors use multivariate
statistical methods to help place
Historic-period Blackfoot rock art in
chronological context. They then use
data from Biographic tradition robe
art to help chronologically
contextualize the rock art sites.
Lycetta, S.J., & Keyserb, J.D.
2017. Assessing the chronology of
post-contact rock art on the northern
Plains via multivariate statistical
comparison with Blackfoot biographic
art, Journal of Anthropological
Archaeology 45: 6980.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science
/article/pii/S0278416516300198

Plants in Kimberley Rock art
suggest complex relationships
New research suggests Aboriginal
people had a complex and enduring set
of people-plant relationships. This is
shown in Kimberley rock art, which has
an enormous body of direct and
indirect depictions of plants. Rock art is
a primary record of long-term
sophisticated physical and symbolic
manipulation of plants.
Vetha, P. et al. 2017. Plants before
farming: The deep history of plant-use
and representation in the rock art of
Australia's Kimberley region.
Quaternary International
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/
article/pii/S1040618216301392
A new look at hands stencils in
Palaeolithic art
Has hand stencilling and printing been
overlooked in studies of Palaeolithic
art? The profiled form of the human
hand may be the earliest,
unambiguous evidence of anthropic
depiction in cave art. (See p# for
more details from the authors).
Walker, J.W.P., Clinnick,
D.T.G. & Pedersen J. B.W. 2017.
Profiled hands in Palaeolithic art: the
first universally recognized symbol of
the human form. World Art
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21500894.2
016.1243573
Comparing Aurignacian rock art:
a new discovery
A new find from the rock shelter at
Abri Blanchard is providing new
information on the context and dating
of Aurignacian graphic imagery in SW
France and its relationship to that of
other regions.
R. Bourrillona et al. 2017.
New Aurignacian engraving from Abri
Blanchard, France: implications for
understanding Aurignacian graphic
expression in Western and Central
Europe. Quaternary International
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.20
16.09.063A

Human beings thought with their hands. It was their hands that were the
answer of curiosity, that felt and pinched and turned and lifted and hefted.
There were animals that had brains of respectable size, but they had no
hands and that made all the difference
Isaac Asimov, Foundation's Edge

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 Issue No. 17: Spring 2017

As clear as the hand in front of your face? The curious reluctance to recognise hands as evidence of early
anthropic depiction
James Walker, David Clinnick and Jan Pedersen

Of the various images seen in Palaeolithic cave art throughout Europe, the profiled form of the human hand (either from stenc il
or print), is arguably the least attention-grabbing. Indeed, it has even been said that hands should not be considered art at all
(Forge 1991). It is, understandably, difficult to compete with the awe and wonder-inspiring majesty of mammoths and other
beasts (Figure 1) that emerge from within the shadows, or the enigmatic meanings of the various geometric forms that adorn
some panels. Hands may seem relatively uninspiring; it's clear what they are, seemingly obvious as to how they were madein
basic premise at leastand yet for all the familiarity with which we can relate to these images, we are no closer to knowing
what they meant or why they were made than we are with any other tradition of Palaeolithic cave painting. The question of
meaning, of course, is the perennial bugbear of any prehistoric art enthusiast.

How often, when talking about our passion to non-specialists, whether it's Palaeolithic hand prints or Bronze Age rock carvings,
are we left facing a question along the lines of "Yes, yes, but what does it all mean?" The but hits home that whatever you
have said thus far has failed to sate what is surely our ultimate curiosity in the subject. You can obfuscate, misdirect, or
bashfully apologise and concede that neither you, nor anyone else for that matter, can ever truly know with absolute certainty.
But then, why should we be apologetic about that? Surely, the sense of wonder we have when beholding prehistoric art is what
captivates so many of us in the first place? If we knew what it all meant, as with so much of archaeology, half the allure would
be lost.

If we knew what it
all meant, as with
so much of
archaeology, half
the allure would be
lost.

Figure 1: Replica panel of the Peche Merle cave horse painting which also includes hand stencils. Image: Public Domain

Maybe, rather, we would do better to stop and consider the idea of this allure and intrigue a little further. In doing so, perhaps
we can come closer to understanding what it is that engages us when we behold an ancient piece of art. After all, sometimes the
simpler questions and statements we can make about our past are also the most powerful. Perhaps this is why, even when
presented alongside a broad array of other enticing imagery, the emotive appeal of being able to extend one's own hand and
place it almost over that of some unknown ancestor'sand not just any ancestor, but a creator of some of the earliest known art
anywhere in the worldcan be so strong.

Contemplating this, and what it is that we can read, rather than observe, about hand stencils and prints is, in essence, an
unspoken theme in our recent World Art article (see end). We set out to explore various aspects of hand stencilling and printing
that we feel have been overlooked in studies of Palaeolithic art, and over the course of our work, we came to the opinion that
not only is the profiled form of the human hand the earliest, unambiguous evidence of anthropic depiction in cave art, but that
many specialising in this field are, perhaps, so entrenched within their research niche, that they have either overlooked this, or
been reluctant to acknowledge and explore the significance of it.

It's fair to say that while an extensive literature of both ethnographic and archaeological studies has developed on hand stencils
and prints, the idea that they represent a relatively dull part of the full repertoire of Palaeolithic art appears to have permeated
into their coverage in some scholarly overviews of the subject. Indeed, even within the extant literature devoted to hand stencils
and prints, there has been a preoccupation with profiles of hands with mutilated or flexed digits, despite such examples being
relatively uncommon overall. While a number of commendable studies have substantially furthered our knowledge of Palaeolithic
hand stencilling, the sentiment that research into hand stencils and prints in Palaeolithic art have been somewhat narrow and un-
ambitious, first expressed by Peter Ucko and Andre Rosenfeld (1967), has been echoed again more recently (Pettitt et al. 2014).

Innovative explorations of methodology have provided unique insight into (among other matters) the handedness, gender and
age of the artists and yet, while fascinating in themselves, the rate at which we further our understanding of their significance
within a broader context has remained somewhat glacial. Such studies are, of course, the very bread and butter of ou r
profession, and are also, for us, of due importance. But could it come as a surprise to anyone other than a Palaeolithic
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 Issue No. 17: Spring 2017

archaeologist that the artists who created these images may have included both women and children and an uneven ratio of left
and right handed individuals, or that we may yet find examples that predate our previously accepted earliest evidence for their
appearance?

The rut in which we, perhaps more broadly as a profession, are stuck, is a strict adherence to what we can quantify and assess;
a reluctance to accept the speculative or indulge conjecture. This theme is, of course, a common one in archaeology, and we feel
our own work departs from this firmly entrenched tradition by following a much less well trodden path, more in keeping with the
considered and contemplative assessment of Palaeolithic hand art exemplified by the likes of Iain Morley (2007). In doing so, we
started from the ground up, as it were, and gained (we feel) a unique vantage as a result. Our work was informed by
backgrounds in archaeology, anthropology and philosophy. It was born of a shared curiosity in what, if anything, makes the
profiled form of the human hand such an enduring, widespread and appealing image (Figure 2). Why do they provoke a sense of
wonder upon their discovery in an ancient contextor equallywhy might they be regarded as mundane by some? Above all
else, we wanted to know why it is that, irrespective of the meaning intended or derived from the image, the profiled form of the
hand is one that everyone can make sense of in their own way.

what, if anything, makes

the profiled form of the
human hand such an
enduring, widespread and
appealing image?

Figure 2: examples of recently made hand prints found on Mount Diablo, California. Image: by James Walker

We chose to publish in World Art, with the hope that such a platform might offer exposure to researchers from other
backgrounds who may be able to complement the traditional, more narrow tendencies of archaeological investigation. Our
paper was accepted with the almost frustrated vindication that although simple in premise, there had yet been anyone to tackle
these questions, at least in the way that we had. Indeed, in a recent episode of BBC Radio 4s The Museum of Curiosity,
popular anthropologist Kate Fox likened Palaeolithic hand stencils to modern day selfies, before remarking that such an analogy
would be deemed flippant and irreverent by those in the academic community. While our own work hopefully goes some way
towards proving this assertion incorrect, we also find her assessment to be not entirely unfair. Flippancy and irreverence may
not be desirable, but a willingness to consider the more thought provoking significance of our subject material wouldnt go
amiss. To this end, we hope that readers will find our article a slightly refreshing break from the norm; one that complements
the solid output of other researchers engaged with the subject of hand stencils and prints in cave art, but also, hopefully, a
handy reminder of the value in exploring alternative approaches to old hands, and indeed, other forms of cave and rock art.

The full article "Profiled Hands in Palaeolithic art: the first universally recognized symbol of the human form" can be acces sed
(with subscription) through the journal World Art.. Alternatively, please contact the authors with any questions through
j.w.p.walker@durham.ac.uk.

References
The Museum of Curiosity, broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 30 January 2017: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08bzcd3
Forge, A. 1991. Handstencils: Rock Art or Not Art? In Rock Art and Prehistory, edited by P. Bahn and A. Rosenfeld, 3941. Oxbow
Books, Oxford.
Morley, I. 2007. New Questions of Old Hands: Outlines of Human Representation in the Palaeolithic. In Image and Imagination: a global
prehistory of figurative representation, edited by C. Renfrew and I. Morley, 6981. McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research,
University of Cambridge.
Pettitt, P., A. Maximiano Castillejo, P. Arias, R. Ontan Peredo, and R. Harrison. 2014. New Views on Old Hands: the Context of
Stencils in El Castillo and La Garma Caves (Cantabria, Spain). Antiquity 88: 4763.
Ucko, P., and A. Rosenfeld. 1967. Palaeolithic Cave Art. Weidenfeld and Nicolson World University Library, London.
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 Issue No. 17: Spring 2017

Motifs by Moonlight - Part 2

Cezary Namirski

These images are a continuation of work presented in Rock Articles 11 (Spring 2014) which included my night photography of
British prehistoric rock art using artificial lighting. Since then my numerous visits to rock art sites around Britain have resulted in
further photographs bringing out the motifs with the help of oblique light, some of which I present here.

1. 2.

3. 4.

5.
1. Hare Law Crags 1 (Northumberland) this panel bears one
among several examples of the rosette motif around Wooler
(Buttony 5, The Ringses 1a and The Ringses 1b being other
ones). The sandstone outcrop was quarried, and it is probable
that more motifs were destroyed.
2. Doddington Sheepfold A (Northumberland) this cup-and-
ring mark is located on the horizontal surface of an outcrop in
a forest North-East of Doddington.
3. Blairbuy 6 (Galloway) among numerous rock art panels
scattered around Blairbuy farm on the Machars peninsula,
Blairbuy 6 is one of the few which are not turf-covered and
can be easily accessed.
4. Rothiemay stone circle (Moray) these motifs are located
on a vertical surface of the recumbent of Rothiemay stone
circle, and is one of at least 15 recumbent stone circles which
bear cup-marks and/or cup-and-ring marks.

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 Issue No. 17: Spring 2017

DATES for your DIARY: forthcoming conferences and other events

If you have an event you would like to publicise here please send me the details.

27th 28th May 2017 British Rock Art Group Annual Conference, Anglesey.
See page 5.
Contact: George Nash (George.nash@Bristol.ac.uk) or Aron Mazel (aron.mazel@newcastle.ac.uk)

23rd 24th Jun 2017 Europa 2017: The Bronze Age as Pre-Modern Globalisation,
University of Southampton
See website for details: http://www.prehistoricsociety.org/events/event/Europa_conference_2017/

30th Aug 3rd Sep 2017 European Association of Archaeologists, Maastricht

Session 1: George H. Nash (United Kingdom) & May-Tove Smiseth (Norway) Looking beyond
the intervention of the artist: Choice and preparation in rock art sites
Session 46: Joakim Goldhahn (Sweden) & Sally Kate May (Australia) The Materiality of Rock
Art: insights into relationships between people, place and object in world rock art
Session 210: Marina Gallinaro (Italy) & Ines Domingo Sanz (Spain) Rock art research is
archaeology or it is nothing
Session 293: Ines Domingo Sanz (Spain), Marina Gallinaro (Italy) & Danae Fiore
(Argentina) Mind the gap 2.0! Building bridges between Science, Heritage and Society in the
archaeology of rock art
See http://www.eaa2017maastricht.nl/en

17th Jul 5th Aug 2017 Recording Rock Art Fieldwork in Valcamonica. Camuno
Centre for Prehistoric Studies
See details on p13.
Deadline: vitae and participation form must be sent by June 2017 to: recording.rockart@ccsp.it
Cost: 100 plus the fee to Camuno Centre for Prehistoric Studies (40 ).
Accommodation: guest house in Nadro at 10 per night.
Website: www.ccsp.it
Download: fieldwork2017_eng_low

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