Issue No 5: Spring 2011

Issue No. 5: Spring 2011

Rock Articles
Dear All,

The British winter failed to deter all you hardy rock art enthusiasts, and there is plenty to report this spring, as well as lots of
conferences and events to look forward to. As ever, my thanks to everyone who provided text, images, or suggestions. If you
would like to contribute to the Autumn 2011 issue I’d love to hear from you at the email address below.

It was with great sadness that I learned this week that much loved rock art researcher Jan Brouwer is terminally ill, and
spending his last moments with friends and family at home. Jan’s passion for British and Irish rock art, together with his
determination to promote the subject, and willingness to share his extensive knowledge won him a large and loyal following of
rock art researchers and enthusiasts from many quarters. His wonderful website, sadly no longer available, provided instant
access to a vast collection images and information, testimony to Jan’s dedication and extensive knowledge and experience (see
page 10). Our thoughts are with you and your family, Jan.
Kate
April 2011
kesharpe@live.co.uk

Contents:
• 3D Rock Art in The Cave of Forgotten Dreams: in cinemas now! ........................................................... 1
• New British Discoveries: Scottish special.................................................................................................. 2
• World Rock Art on the Web: international news and links ......................................................................... 3
• Colourful Cups: an alternative perspective?................................................................................................ 5
• Lasers Return to Stonehenge: ................................................................................................................ 6
• Recording Projects: updates from West Yorkshire and Derbyshire.............................................................. 7
• RAMP Update: The latest from the Rock Art Mobile Project ......................................................................... 8
• Featured Panel: The Badger Stone, Ilkley Moor.......................................................................................... 9
• The British Rock Art Collection: can we rebuild it?................................................................................. 10
• Inspired by Rock Art: creative responses to cup and ring marks .............................................................. 11
• Dates for your Diary: forthcoming conferences, day schools, and other events ......................................... 12
• Rock Art Reads: new and forthcoming publications .................................................................................. 13

3D Rock Art in The Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Don’t miss your chance for an amazing virtual tour of

Palaeolithic art!

Discovered in 1994, Chauvet Cave in Ardèche, southern

France is considered to be one of the most significant
prehistoric art sites and contains the earliest known cave
paintings, as well as other evidence of Upper Palaeolithic
life.

The recently released Werner Herzog documentary which

opened in selected cinemas this month is a fantastic
opportunity to experience the caves in all its sparkling and
dramatic glory. The 3D effect really brings the paintings to
life and allows the viewer to appreciate how cleverly the
artists employed the contours of the cave walls – so very
different to looking at static pages in a book.

Cinemas showing the film can be found at http://www.caveofforgottendreams.co.uk/

For a more detailed account of the film see Andy Burnham’s review on The Megalithic Portal:
http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=2146413972

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 Issue No 5: Spring 2011

NEW BRITISH DISCOVERIES: SCOTTISH SPECIAL

Below are just a selection of the many finds made by independent researcher George Currie in the last couple of years (images kindly
provided by George). The number of panels recorded in Scotland has grown rapidly recently. More details of these panels and other
Scottish rock art can be found on the Canmore database at www.rcahms.gov.uk/canmore.html

Balimeanach (Stirling) March 2011

Found just as Rock Articles was ‘going to press’ George reported three
new panels, about 500 m apart: a single cup on very hard igneous rock,
and two more complex examples. The area is on the other side of Loch
Earn from Glen Beich (below). George notes that no other prehistoric
remains have been recorded for 6 km in either direction along this side
of the loch.

Glen Beich (Stirling) March 2011

George found this cup-marked rock 500 m NNW of the meeting of the
Beich Burn and Allt Leacachan. The panel measures 1.4 x 1.3 x 0.5 m
and has at least forty-two cup-marks. 220 m NNE of this, an area of
bedrock bears a single cup-mark. Nearby George found another
prominent boulder with three cup marks on its upper surface and thirty-
three cup marks on its steeply sloping south western face The site has
extensive views along over the Loch Earn, and the most obvious natural
route through the glen. This brings the total in the Glen Beich group to
nine.

Kiltyrie (Perth and Kinross) Oct 2010

This cup-marked boulder was found by George 160 m NW of the Kiltyrie
chambered cairn. The boulder, which measures 1.5m x 1.0 x 0.4, has at
least twenty-seven cup-marks. Just 30 m NE of the chambered cairn, a
second boulder has a possible single cup-mark.

Upper Glenny (Stirling) Sept 2010

George has recorded a number of panels in the Upper Glenny area. The
image shows a stretch of bedrock with five cup-marks, a cup with four
rings, a cup with two wide irregular rings, and another cup with two
rings; the southern section has eight cup-marks. Just 8 m S of this, a
second outcrop has two areas of cup markings, one with twelve cups and
the other with seven, one of which has two wide rings. A third outcrop
nearby has two large cup marks.

An Torr (Perth & Kinross) Sept 2010

This rock, that George notes has been mechanically removed from a
knoll, has five engraved motifs that are closer to ellipses than rings, and
one triangular shaped motif. The markings are similar to megalithic
motifs and unlike the typical rock art of the area (George has found a
total of thirteen here over the years!)

Lawers Burn (Perth and Kinross) June 2010

This panel lies to the east of the Ben Lawers track and within 4 m of a
shieling. It measure 1.8m x 0.9 and has twenty nine cup-marks at least
four of which are ringed, and six dumb-bells or conjoined cups.

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 Issue No 5: Spring 2011

WORLD ROCK ART on the WEB

News from Libya, New Zealand, Australia, and Norway
Archaeology in Libya under threat
As the unrest in the Middle East spreads, the cultural heritage of the area is at growing
risk. In Libya, eleven Italian researchers were evacuated from Libya in a C-130
Hercules military aircraft and were thankful to escape to an air-force base south of
Rome. The team of seven men and four women were from the Italian–Libyan
Archaeological Mission in the Acacus and Messak, an expedition to research prehistoric
archaeology and rock-art. They took temporary refuge in an oilfield camp in the open
desert.
See the full article for details, and a map of archaeological sites in Libya at
http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110302/full/news.2011.132.html
Image from
To find out more about Libyan rock art see: http://www.libyarockart.com/
http://www.libyarockart.com/

Rock art under cremations in Norway

A routine excavation of a burial mound at Stjørdal, just north of
Trondheim has revealed Bronze Age rock art. Beneath a cremation layer,
archaeologists from the Norwegian University of Science and
Technology's Museum of Natural History and Archaeology found a series
of petroglyphs, including eight drawings showing the soles of feet, with
cross hatching, and five shallow depressions. Two boat drawings and
several other drawings of feet soles with toes were also found just south
of the burial mound. Science Daily (Jan. 31, 2011)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110131073133.htm
Screen clipping taken: 10/03/2011, 16:05

Scientists stumble on ancient Timor rock art

Experts were digging for fossils in Timor's Lene Hara cave, when they chanced upon a group
of stylized human faces etched in the rock. The face carvings, which include one with a
circular headdress resembling the sun, are the first of their kind to be found in Timor and the
only ones from the Pleistocene period (ending 12,000 years ago) in the region.

"The local landowners with whom we were working were stunned by the findings. They said
the faces had chosen that day to reveal themselves because they were pleased by the field
work we were doing," said Ken Aplin of Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Research
Organization (CSIRO).
See: http://nanopatentsandinnovations.blogspot.com/2011/02/giant-rats-lead-scientists-to.html
Original article: O'Connor S, Aplin K, St Pierre E, and Feng Y-X. 2010. Faces of the ancestors
revealed: discovery and dating of a Pleistocene-age petroglyph in Lene Hara Cave, East Timor. Antiquity
84(325):649–665. Credit: John Brush

New Zealand rock art under threat

Even before the recent earthquake of New Zealand’s South Island rock art (around 580 sites on limestone) faced all kinds of
challenges. In May 2010 a massive rockslide caused by heavy rain in North Otago threatened the preservation of a popular
ancient Maori rock drawing site. An overhanging piece of rock crashed down. Fortunately, the rock art is in the alcove area,
under the overhang.
The September earthquake also caused concern and the Ngai Tahu Maori Rock Art Centre asked landowners with rock art sites
on their property to check for quake damage. The $2.7 million Rock Art Centre which opened in December 2010 fulfils a
longstanding dream of Ngai Tahu to both protect the 500 rock art sites in Canterbury and Otago and bring back many of the
examples removed early last century and placed in museums. Let’s hope the recent quakes haven’t caused further problems.
http://www.teana.co.nz/
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3741510/Rockslide-hits-Otago-rock-drawing-site

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 Issue No 5: Spring 2011

Caribbean Cave Art Captured

An innovative project in the Dominican Republic has brought together experts in both
ancient myths and modern digital photography.
Robert Mark and Evelyn Billo of Rupestrian CyberServices in Arizona used D-Stretch
image enhancement and GigaPan panorama technology to help record the ancient
rock art of the Dominican Republic. Daniel DuVall, a researcher and photographer of
ancient art in the area, and Domingo Abréu, Head of Caves for the Dept of the
Environment for the Dominican Republic, served as guides to both the locations of the
art and the meanings behind it.
You can take a look at some of the amazing GigaPans created at
http://www.rupestrian.com/

See also http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/news/chiefeditor/2011/02/caribbean-cave-art-

myths-revea.html

Image is an extract from Panorama: Rock Art of Hoyo de Sanabe

http://science.nationalgeographic.com/archaeology/gigapan/sanabe/
Screen clipping taken: 10/03/2011, 15:45

Microbes help with dating of Kimberley rock art

A team led by retired neuroscientist Professor Jack Pettigrew from the University of
Queensland has made a breakthrough that could help date the Australian rock art more
accurately. ‘Bradshaw’ rock paintings are scattered through remote caves in the Kimberley
and depict elongated figures in elaborate dress, and extinct animals. While some rock art
fades in hundreds of years, the Bradshaw art remains colourful after at east 40,000 years.
Pettigrew has shown that the paintings have been colonised by colourful bacteria and fungi.
He says he has proven the vivid colours in some of the paintings are the result of paint
pigments being replaced by living organisms. These The "living pigments" may explain
previous difficulties in dating such rock art. Pettigrew now plans to sequence the micro-
organism's DNA, found in the paint pigments, to try to narrow down the era in which they
were created. For more details see:
BBC report: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12039203
Image: Michael Rainsbury
Antiquity Journal Gallery: http://antiquity.ac.uk/projgall/pettigrew326/
Rock art dinosaurs?
A petroglyph on a rock formation in Utah is causing
fierce debate, reports The Daily Mail this week!
Creationists are claiming the famous dinosaur petroglyph
at the Kachina Bridge formation in Natural Bridges
Natural Monument in south-eastern Utah is proof that
dinosaurs and humans co-existed, but a new paper
published in Palaeontologia Electronica argues that the
image depicts a snake, with mud stains that confuse the
eye into thinking it is seeing legs.
Biology professor Phil Senter and petroglyph expert Sally
Cole came to the conclusion that the ‘dinosaur’ was
actually a composite resulting in a kind of 'paraeidolia,
the psychological phenomenon of perceiving significance
in vague or random stimuli, e.g., seeing animals in
clouds or the face of a religious figure in a food item.'
David Menton, a biologist at the Creationist Museum said Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-
that Cole's findings had to be disregarded as she 1370476/Petroglyph-Utah-Proof-dinosaurs-humans-existed-just-mud-
examined the petroglyph from a distance with binoculars stain.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
- not close up. He said he was prepared to accept it was
Read the full article: Senter, Phil and Cole, Sally J., 2011. “Dinosaur”
a dinosaur - or even some other creature.
petroglyphs at Kachina Bridge site, Natural Bridges National
Several other drawings at Kachina Bridge also appear to Monument, southeastern Utah: not dinosaurs after all.
be of dinosaurs, including a ‘triceratops’. But Senter and Palaeontologia Electronica . 14, Issue 1
Cole claim that those images, also, are either composites http://palaeo-electronica.org/2011_1/236/index.html
or do not resemble any four-legged animal they can
Image from Daily Mail website.
identify.

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 Issue No 5: Spring 2011

COLOURFUL CUPS?
Rock art is traditionally divided into petroglyphs (engraved/incised)
and pictographs (painted/drawn). Very rarely do we encounter
painted petroglyphs, and no examples have yet been found in
Britain or Ireland. Does this mean that cup and ring marks were
never coloured, or is it just that the North Atlantic climate has
removed all trace of any pigment? Might rock art, like Greek and
Egyptian statues, or Medieval cathedrals, have once been vibrantly
coloured? The discoveries, reported recently in Current
Archaeology, of orange, red and yellow stones in Orkney suggests
that colour was an important part of Neolithic life. Should we
consider the possibility that the cups and rings were once part of a
brightly decorated prehistoric landscape?
West Horton 2a, Northumberland, with colourful virtual
Note: Modern painting of petroglyphs is not encouraged: touch-up.
see page 9 for recent vandalism in West Yorkshire.

Interior décor
Red, yellow and orange pigments (made from ground up iron oxide) have been found decorating five stones which formed the
interior walls of houses in a Neolithic settlement on Orkney. Although this is a domestic setting the stones are decorated with
lines and chevrons very similar to patterns incised or pecked onto stones from the same site. Small pots containing ‘paint’ have
also been found at Neolithic settlements such as Skara Brae where it has been suggested that paint (in this case, red and white
pigment) was used to decorate the walls. Infra-red photography of the walls of the Neolithic tomb at Maeshowe also showed
possible traces of pigment that corresponded to a semicircular design incised onto the stone. Might this be an example of a
painted petroglyph?

Painted stonework in house structures at the Ness of Brodgar, Orkney. Images courtesy of Nick Card,
Senior Projects Manager Orkney Research Centre for Archaeology (ORCA)
No need for paint?
Creating the motifs involved ‘puncturing’ the weathered outer skin or ‘patina’ of the rock to expose the
lighter or different coloured interior of the stone. Freshly pecked motifs would have stood out from the
darker, natural rock surface without the need for paint. However, the bright new motifs would quickly
fade with the effects of weathering, oxidation, and vegetation. Might they have been ‘refreshed’ by
pecking on special occasions, effectively turning them back ‘on’?

(Image from an experiment carried out by as part of the Fading Rock Art Landscapes project in 2003,
reproduced with permission from Tertia Barnett.)

Further reading
Bradley, R., T. Philllips, C. Richards, and M.Webb, 2001. Decorating the houses of the dead: Incised and pecked motifs in
Orkney chambered tombs. Cambridge Archaeological Journal. 11(1): 45-67.
Card, N., 2010. Colour, cups and tiles - recent discoveries at the Ness of Brodgar. PAST, 66: 1-3.
Childe, V. G. 1931. Skara Brae: a Pictish village in Orkney. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner.

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 Issue No 5: Spring 2011

LASERS RETURN to STONEHENGE

A new survey of all visible faces of the stones at

Stonehenge using laser scanning is currently
underway. It follows an earlier laser survey in 2002-3.
Prior to laser technology, a number of Bronze Age
carvings were recorded at the site including the
famous dagger and axehead found by Richard
Atkinson in 1953, and 13 other axes, on the inner face
of one of the imposing Trilithon sarsens, Stone 53. A
further 26 axes were been claimed on the outer face
of sarsen Stone 4, and three on the outer face of
Stone 3, both in the stone circle. The axes varied from
8 to 36 cm long. Other shapes were also recorded,
such as a possible trellis or lattice pattern on Stone 3,
hollows, a shallow rectangle, ribs, and cup-marks.

The 2002/3 investigation by Wessex Archaeology and Archaeoptics,

(reported in British Archaeology, http://www.britarch.ac.uk/ba/ba73/feat1.shtml)
scanned the stones with the greatest number of known carvings: Stones
3, 4, and 53. Close analysis of the resulting 3D models revealed two new
axe-like shapes on the left hand side of Stone 53, though earlier plans
indicated nothing there. The first carving measured 15 by 15.3 cm, with
a broad upturned blade, and a form of 'rib' a third of the way down the
length - possibly representing two axes, one carved over another. The
second carving, 10.6 by 8.6 cm, was extremely faint, but seems to be a
normal flanged axe, as found elsewhere on the stone. In their British
Archaeology article the researchers posed the question of what could be
found if the entire monument were recorded in this way?
Perhaps we will now find out as, eight years later a new, comprehensive
laser survey is now underway. This will be the most accurate digital
model ever for the world famous prehistoric monument, measuring
details and irregularities on the stone surfaces to a resolution of 0.5mm.
Laser scanning is also being used to map the earthworks immediately
around the stone circle, and the surrounding landscape, as part of a
wider project.

“This new survey will capture a lot more information on the subtleties of
the monument and its surrounding landscape” says Paul Bryan, head of
geospatial surveys at English Heritage.

The team will be looking for rock art, but also for more modern graffiti
such as that thought to have been made by Sir Christopher Wren whose
family had a home nearby.

You can listen to English Heritage archaeologist Dave Batchelor illustrate

the aims of the survey at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxAnanfB_rg

Other web links:

http://www.stonehengelaserscan.org/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12688085

Further reading:
Atkinson, K.B., 1968. The recording of some prehistoric carvings at Stonehenge. The Photogrammetric Record 6 (April): 24-31.
Crawford, O.G.S., 1954.The symbols carved on Stonehenge. Antiquity 28: 25-31.
Goskar, T.A., A. Carty, P. Cripps, C. Brayne & D. Vickers, 2003.The Stonehenge Laser Show. British Archaeology 73: 9-15.
Rogers, N., 1991. Early evidence for Stonehenge carvings? Wiltshire Archaeology and Natural History Society Magazine 84: 116.
Scarre, C., 1997. Misleading Images: Stonehenge and Brittany. Antiquity 71: 1016-1020.

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 Issue No 5: Spring 2011

RECORDING PROJECTS

CSI: Rombalds Moor. Carved Stone Investigations in a Watershed Landscape

Following an enthusiastic response to the call for volunteers
last November, thirty-nine local people have now been
recruited, and a detailed training programme is underway at
CSI HQ. In early February, after an introductory session in
the warm, the teams ventured onto the wet and windy
slopes of Ilkley Moor to have a go at recording the rock art
using the England’s Rock Art standard recording forms. This
involved making a series of measurements and
observations, creating a sketch plan of the immediate area,
assessing the current condition and potential risks to the
rock art panels. Despite the (fairly typical) conditions
everyone stayed cheerful and enjoyed getting to grips with
compasses, GPSs, and grain size charts.
A second training opportunity was provided by volunteer
and geologist Mike Short, who led groups of volunteers on
‘Geology Familiarisation’ walks in the local area, sharing his
knowledge of the local rock formations – important
background info for the CSI recruits who will need to
understand the context of the rock art, be able to identify
what is natural and what isn’t, and appreciate how the
geological make-up of the panels can affect their
vulnerability to erosion.

Last week saw the beginning of training in basic

photography and the 3D photogrammetry techniques which
will enable the project to build on the great work of the
Ilkley Archaeology Group by creating a detailed and
objective baseline record of the current state of the rock art
panels, and help to develop management priorities for the
future.
English Heritage archaeologist Al Oswald joined the
volunteers for their final training session helping them to
look for clues in the shape of the Rombalds Moor landscape.
A good understanding all the lumps and bumps around the
rock art will be important in the creation of good records,
helping the volunteers put the carved panels in a wider
context.

Their training complete, the CSI volunteers have now

embarked on a two month trial phase of recording. This
should allow them to get up to speed with the techniques,
iron out any problems, and to develop a fieldwork strategy
within their teams. The main recording phase will then begin
in June when better weather and longer daylight hours
should help the project achieve its goal of recording all the
panels on the moor.

You can receive regular updates by subscribing to the

project blog at http://csirm.wordpress.com
Thanks to Colin Beecham and Robin Gray for the images.

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 Issue No 5: Spring 2011

New kid on the rock in Derbyshire

An intrepid rock art enthusiast from Sheffield has taken on the
challenge of recording the rock art of the Peak District in a solo
project. Joe Brown, an Archaeology and Prehistory graduate, will use
the same standard recording form and methodology as the CSI:
Rombalds Moor volunteers and the CSI Project Officers are offering
guidance and support. Joe, now a primary school teacher, discovered
rock art through the Beckensall Archive website, and decided to put
his archaeology training to use. He got in touch with Newcastle
University, and soon found himself joining the CSI volunteers for their
fieldwork training day. Joe began his own survey of Derbyshire's rock
art sites in the central eastern area towards Sheffield - an area he
knows very well having spent the last 20 years climbing and walking
there. By using the England’s Rock Art ERA recording form and
methodology, Joe will be able to add his data and images to the ERA
database, further increasing the number of standardised records
which can be analysed, and helping to inform management decisions
in another new rock art area.

Joe Brown gets to grips with the Derbyshire geology

RAMP UPDATE
The Newcastle University Rock Art Mobile Project (RAMP) is making progress towards making selected parts of the digital
information in the England’s Rock Art (ERA) database (http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/era/) available to rock art visitors on site
via mobile phones. A website optimised for mobile phones will be used to help people to find the panels, to see what is on
them, and to put them into the context of the surrounding landscape. It is also hoped that the mobile platform will stimulate
imaginations and help visitors to engage more with the carvings.

A series of workshops last September, with local people in Rothbury and Wooler, helped the RAMP Team understand how
people engage with the rock art in the landscape, and what is important to them. Key findings included frustrations at trying to
find the rock art, a desire to speculate about the ‘meaning’ of the abstract motifs through conversations and interactions, and a
strong sense of personal connection with both the present and ancient landscape and the people who inhabited it. These were
all key concerns during the development phase of the project, alongside technical challenges such as limited network availability
(although tests have shown that this is sufficient at most of the intended panels, if not always in the car park!); exposed
locations; and the variety of handsets which may be used.
Based on the workshop findings and results of technical testing, a
prototype mobile website was been developed, and earlier this month
participants from the September workshops were invited back to evaluate
it ‘in the field’ at Lordenshaw near Rothbury. The feedback from these
sessions will help to shape the final product which will be launched in July
this year. The following paper detailing the project activities and findings
was recently presented at the ‘Museums on the Web 2011’ Conference in
Philadelphia:

Galani, A., D. Maxwell, A. Mazel, & K. Sharpe. 2011. Situating Cultural

Technologies Outdoors: Designing for Mobile Interpretation of Rock Art in
Rural Britain.

The paper can be accessed online at:

http://conference.archimuse.com/mw2011/papers/situating_cultural_technologies_outdoors_desig
If you have any thoughts about rock art and mobile phones or would like to get involved please call
Debbie on 0191 2225566 or email Deborah.Maxwell@ncl.ac.uk
You can also follow progress on the RAMP Blog at http://rockartmobile.wordpress.com and on Twitter at
http://twitter.com/RockArtMobile

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 Issue No 5: Spring 2011

FEATURED PANEL: The Badger Stone, Ilkley Moor, West Yorkshire

At over a metre in height and three metres in length, the Badger Stone on Ilkley Moor is an imposing panel. The steeply-sloping
south-facing surface is carved with an elaborate, interconnecting array of almost 100 cups, rings, and grooves. The sun moves
across the face of the stone during the day, highlighting different areas and motifs in turn. The eastern face is also decorated,
although less densely, with motifs which include a ‘half swastika’, similar to the more famous 'Swastika Stone' at Woodhouse
Crag.

Drawing by Ilkley Archaeology Group (Boughey & Vickerman 2003) Photograph by Barry Wilkinson/CSI: Rombalds Moor

Antiquarian report. The Badger Stone was first documented by J. Romilly Allen (1879) who describes the stone as:
“…a block of grit-stone 12ft long by 7ft 6in broad, by 4ft high. The largest face slopes at an angle of about 40 degrees to
the horizon, and on it are carved nearly fifty cups, sixteen of which are surrounded with single concentric rings. At the
west end of the stone are a group, three cups with double rings and radial grooves. At the other end, near the top, is a
curious pattern formed of double grooves, and somewhat resembling the ‘swastika’ emblem… At the highest part of the
stone is a rock basin 8in deep and 9in wide. On the vertical end of the stone are five cut cups, three of which have single
rings. This is one of the few instances of cup and ring marks occurring on a vertical face of rock.”

Why Badger? The name is thought to date to medieval times when, a ‘Badger man’ was a corn or flour trader. Neighbouring
place names such as Grainings Head seem to support this, and the nearby 12th century Cowper’s Cross marks an ancient
market which is thought to have taken place here on an old trade route across the moor. Termed by Eric Cowling the
‘Rombald’s Way’ (after the legendary giant, Rombald), this was an important route running east-west across the mid-
Pennines. Yorkshire has a number of other ‘badger’ stones, some also coincident with ancient trade routes, and it has been
argued that these stones may have been the site of annual festivities, perhaps at the autumn equinox, celebrating the grain
harvest.

The Badger Stone today. The stone remains a favourite destination for visitors to Ilkley
Moor, being close to a footpath, and a convenient wooden bench. The stone even gives its
name to a local race, the Badger Stone Relay, run annually on Ilkley Moor since 1992.
(This year’s race is on Wednesday 25th May). The accessibility of the stone, however,
brings its own problems. In early April this year, CSI: Rombalds Moor volunteer, Barry
Wilkinson documented the latest episode of vandalism at the stone. The motifs have been
coloured in – possibly with a black marker pen. Whoever did this perhaps considers they
are doing a favour for visitors, making the cups and rings more visible, and they have
clearly taken care to colour only the carved areas. Indeed, this kind of interpretation is
used elsewhere in the world by heritage managers, to show faint carvings to visitors who
may be disappointed by the eroded marks, especially in poor light. But this practise is now
falling out of favour with the realisation that by colouring in the carvings we are imposing Photograph by Barry Wilkinson/
our own interpretation; sophisticated digital techniques can now be used to enhance the CSI: Rombalds Moor
carvings in a virtual way that does not interfere with the natural, weathered appearance of
the panels – which many visitors prefer.

Perhaps we should be thinking about a deterrent to would-be ‘artists’. In North Carolina this week a federal judge fined a 29 yr old
man $10,000 and sentenced him to five years’ probation and 100 hours of community service for scrawling his name into a
petroglyph on the Colorado River known as the ‘Descending Sheep panel’.

References:
Allen, J. Romilly. 1879. The Prehistoric Rock Sculptures of Ilkley. Journal of the British Archaeological Association, 35.
Boughey, K. & E.A. Vickerman. 2003. Prehistoric Rock Art of the West Riding, West Yorkshire Archaeology Service: Leeds.
Cowling, E. T. 1946. Rombald’s Way, William Walker: Otley.

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 Issue No 5: Spring 2011

THE BRITISH ROCK ART COLLECTION: Can we rebuild it?

Rock art enthusiasts may have noticed that the British Rock Art Collection (BRAC) website created and maintained by Dutch
rock art researchers Jan Brouwer and Gus van Veen and has been unavailable recently. Jan recounts the story on the British
Rock Art Blog:

“On the early morning of the 8th of March, apparently someone in Wakefield pulled the plug (and trigger!)
of the Fotopic server, cashed the bank accounts and is now probably ordering a cool drink on some South
American beach. Fotopic hosted not only the “British Rock Art Collection (BRAC)” and the “Worldwide Rock
Art Selection (WRAS)” for about six years but thousands of other websites with over 27 million photos on-
line. With over 18,000 rock art photos on-line and over half a million photo hits so far, the site was used by
many rock art enthusiasts from around the world. But is was not only the photos -hundreds of them
contributed by our good rock art friends- that are no longer enjoyable on the web. Stories and literally
thousands of links to relevant information are gone as well. Thousands of clients trusted the company and
lost all their photos... The chance of a re-appearance of the site gets slimmer by the day and we foresee
that we will never get a glimpse of its content again. And no one saw this coming; no warning in
advance…… e-mail bounced back, telephone lines dead….. over & out!”

http://rockartuk.wordpress.com/2011/03/20/the-british-rock-art-collection-has-vanished/

Since its launch in June 2005 the BRAC website had provided a valuable resource for British Rock Art, fulfilling a role that more
formal databases like England’s Rock Art just can’t match. As well as all the imagery on the site (including over 9000
photographs of around 800 rock art sites) the site included many useful links to other relevant websites, following Jan
Brouwer’s philosophy of ‘linking = thinking = linking’! It also provided a forum for new discoveries, and was the trigger for
several of those featured in Rock Articles. Jan and Gus set out with clear objectives for the site: they aimed to ensure that
photos were 'expressive' so that the collection formed a running commentary of the panel, as described in their account of
‘Cups and rings in cyberspace’ (2010):

‘[photos should show the rock art]… first seen from a distance, than as found, followed by photos of the
cleaned motifs and the details and some views over the panel to catch the rock art in its landscape setting.
Enjoying a slideshow of a collection which is set-up along this line, feels like walking up to the site, examine the
panel, individual motifs and surrounding landscape and walking away, just as the ancient visitor(s) did 5000
years ago’.

They also tried to reflect the changing effects of the seasons, and avoided the inclusion of any modern items, which might spoil
the 'atmosphere' of the rock art site and motifs, preferring to stay as close as possible to the image as seen by the carver and
visitors when they left the panel in the late Stone- and early Bronze Age, and suggesting that ‘technical’ with (IFRAO) scales
and a North arrow or compass belonged in other collections. They also used a chronological approach, scanning early
lithographs, drawings and early photos by Simpson, Tate, Bruce, and others, creating a fascinating historical perspective, and
tribute to respected rock art researchers of the past.

Gus and Jan’s 'no direct posting' policy for BRAC meant that all photos were processed by them. This required a personal
contact with the photographers, often leading to more or even better photos. The policy of 'better for worse' photos also
resulted in the regular replacement of (even slightly) less suitable photos by better ones. This maintained the quality of the
collection.

It is strongly hoped that some of the content of the website can be retrieved and the website re-instated. It would be a great
loss to world rock art if this valuable archive cannot be reconstructed – perhaps as a tribute to Jan Brouwer who, it was recently
announced, is sadly suffering from a terminal illness. Jan’s tremendous enthusiasm for British and Irish rock art, together with
his determination to promote the subject, and willingness to share his extensive knowledge, won him a large and loyal following
of rock art researchers and enthusiasts from many quarters, many of whom contributed images and information, and could
perhaps now join together to rebuild the website that was his passion.

Read more about the development of rock art information on the web in:

Brouwer, J. and G. van Veen, 2010. Cups and Rings in Cyberspace. Pitfalls and acceleration in Britain's virtual rock art museum
in T. Barnett and K. Sharpe (eds) Carving a Future for British Rock Art. New directions for research, management, and
presentation, pp 159-164. Oxford: Oxbow.

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 Issue No 5: Spring 2011

INSPIRED by ROCK ART

Rock art inspires many different creative responses. If you have produced something rock art related and would like to share it
with Rock Articles readers, drop me a line at kesharpe@live.co.uk.

IN TIMES TO COME

We wonder if
in times to come
people like us will look
at these scalloped stones
our cups and rings
the art and effort
and signed-off landscapes of our lives
worked like this……..

flint flashing onto rock

picking and pecking
cups and rings

and we sometimes wonder,

will they think:
what on earth is going on here?
why and when and how and who
could feel and think and do this….

flint flashing onto rock

picking and pecking
cups and rings

and will they think

not only back to us
but like us, forward,
fast forward three thousand years
to where their descendants might
gaze from the craters of the Moon
at the hot and bombed out
dunes and deserts of Earth.

I hope so because
that’s why we make these marks,
this……

flint flashing onto rock

picking and pecking
cups and rings.

Will Wordspeck, 2011

Knockshinnie, captured by Brian Kerr

Rock arty-fact: A feature of rock art that has been observed by some recorders is that, when water flows over
some panels, it runs down slope from one carving to the next, so that it appears that they been deliberately placed to
create this ‘trickling’ effect. In some cases it appears that the natural slope of the rock is aided by carved grooves that
channel the water between motifs. The panel at the Ketley Crag rock shelter in Northumberland is a good example of
this phenomenon.

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 Issue No 5: Spring 2011

DATES for your DIARY: Forthcoming Conferences and Events

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

1st May
Sarsen Trail & Neolithic Marathon
Join this fun-filled, multi-terrain running, walking and mountain biking event, taking you
through the Vale of Pewsey, the Avon Valley and then across the beautiful ancient
landscape of Salisbury Plain between Avebury & Stonehenge. There are races and
distances for all the family (even the dog!). Choose from a Full or Half Marathon, a 7, 11,
15 or 26 mile walk (depending on how energetic you feel) and a brand new, 25 mile
circular rough terrain bike route.
http://www.wiltshirewildlife.org/WhatsOn/SarsenTrail/EmailForm.aspx

7-8th May
British Rock Art Group Annual Conference
Held in the Birley Room, Department of Archaeology, Durham University. Time: 10am -
6pm (to be confirmed).
Cost: £15. Please book your place by sending a check payable to Durham University to my
address: Margarita Díaz-Andreu; BRAG 2011 conference; Department of Archaeology;
Durham University; South Road; Durham DH1 3LE.
21 speakers will present 15-20 minute papers on ongoing and completed rock art projects
in Britain and other parts of the world. See the full programme at:
http://www.dur.ac.uk/archaeology/conferences/current/rock_art_2011/

5th June
Rock Art Meeting 2011 – Lordenshaw, Northumberland

This annual meeting of rock art enthusiasts will convene at the extensive rock art site of
Lordenshaw in Northumberland, at 10.30 am.
For further details see http://rockartuk.wordpress.com/2011/04/16/ram-2011/

30th July
Celebrating the Bull Ring henge
Talks, displays and activities at Dove Holes Community Hall and the Bull Ring Henge, Dove
Holes, Derbyshire. Time: 11:00am - 7:00pm

Join the Megalithic Portal Society to celebrate the wonderful Bull Ring prehistoric henge
and 10 years of the Megalithic Portal web resource. A day of talks, displays and activities in
Dove Holes Community Hall and the henge itself. A free event as part of the Festival of
British Archaeology.
http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=2146413973

13-18th July
‐literate societies’
XXIV Valcamonica Symposium ‘Art and Communication in Pre‐
Held at Capo di Ponte, Brescia, Italy.

For details see http://www.ccsp.it/24simposioinglese.html

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 Issue No 5: Spring 2011

ROCK ART READS: New and Forthcoming Publications

Rock Art and Ritual Volume Two: Mindscapes of Prehistory by Alan

Walker and Brian Smith

Due April 2011, this builds on their well-received first volume and represents
three additional years of research and analysis by Alan and Brian, placing rock art
in a global context with references to Africa, Australia and South America.

Alan said: “The rock art we were looking at in volume one was speaking in a
language that really was lost as land division and organised society developed.
Something that was special to mobile groups who used the landscape and
understood the landscape in an almost organic way. While we can’t claim to have
No image unravelled the whole picture, we feel that we really raised some issues that have
available never been tackled before and which should open new lines of debate and
research.” (Malton & Pickering Mercury, Feb 2011)

ISBN-13: 978-1445601885 ISBN-10: 1445601885, 208p, Amberley Publishing (1 April

2011) Paperback. Not yet published - advance orders taken. Publishers price GB
£176.99

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rock-Art-Ritual-Mindscapes-
Prehistory/dp/1445601885

An Animate Landscape: Rock Art and the Prehistory of Kilmartin, Argyll,

Scotland by Andrew Meirion Jones, Davina Freedman, Blaze O'Connor, Hugo
Lamdin-Whymark, Richard Tipping and Aaron Watson
From the Oxbow website: “An Animate Landscape contains the results of a major
research project that included excavations of two sites, Torbhlaren and Ormaig,
and the analysis of radiocarbon dates to produce a more coherent chronological
context, as well as taking a broader interpretative approach to the landscape. The
book argues that the rock art is an active part of the process of socialising the
landscape, in which the landscape became more organised from the Late
Neolithic onwards, and that this organised landscape relates to broader
No image
cosmological concerns. The book is richly illustrated with colour drawings and
available photographs done by a series of artists to produce a unique visual record of the
rock art and its place in the landscape, alongside more traditional archaeological
enquiry.”

ISBN-13: 978-1-905119-41-7 ISBN-10: 1-905119-41-0, 400p, 127 col & 44 b/w illus
(Windgather Press, 2011)

Paperback. Not yet published - advance orders taken. Publishers price GB £38.00,
Oxbow Price GB £30.95
http://www.oxbowbooks.com/bookinfo.cfm/ID/91134

The Chavín Controversy. Rock Art from the Andean Formative Period by
Maarten van Hoek
Since 1999 Maarten Van Hoek has been researching rock art in the Andes.
Followers may like to know that his latest publication is now available from
Blurb.com. The book deals with the Formative Period of Andean rock art (roughly
between 2000 B.C. to A.D. 0) and focuses on imagery that has been labelled
‘Chavín-style’ in the past. The book has been lavishly illustrated with more than
150 black-and-white drawings of petroglyphs and rock paintings from more than
40 rock art sites in Peru and Chile. Each entry of a rock art site and/or rock art
panel has its own explanatory text. Altogether there are 174 numbered
illustrations (including 23 colour plates and a few distribution maps), plus two
Time Charts.
Price: £41.05 222p, 23 col & 151 b/w illus (Paperback)
http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1943422
Visit Van Hoek’s website at http://mc2.vicnet.net.au/home/vhra/web/index.html

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 Issue No 5: Spring 2011

View from Creag Ard, looking across a misty Loch Tay towards Beinn Ghas, Ben
Lawers and Meall Garbh. Captured by George Currie.

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