Ulster Archaeological Society

The Prehistoric Rock Art of Co. Donegal (Part II)Author(s): M. A. M. Van HoekReviewed work(s):Source: Ulster Journal of Archaeology, Third Series, Vol. 51 (1988), pp. 21-47Published by: Ulster Archaeological SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20568110 .Accessed: 14/04/2012 11:51

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Ulster Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 51, 1988.

THE PREHISTORIC ROCK ART OF CO. DONEGAL (Part II)

by M. A. M. VAN HOEK

(Hoogstraat 60, 5061 EX Oisterwijk, Holland)

This paper is a sequel to that published in this Journal vol. 50 (Van Hoek 1987), which described the prehistoric rock-art of one region of Co. Don

egal (District 1: Doagh Isle). In what follows the art of the remaining Districts (ILV) is described and the chronology of Donegal rock-art is briefly reviewed.

Sites documented in the Archaeological Survey of County Donegal (Lacy 1983 =

DAS) are cross

referenced; where no information is available additional to that in DAS only locational and bibliographical data is

given. Because of a number of new finds the overall numbers of rock-art sites differ slightly from those

reported in Part I: District I now has 70 sites (inclusive of 28 new sites described in the Appendix); District II now has 25 sites and District III has 9. The total number is 117 described in 94 entries.

The information given in the gazetteer is as in Part I

(for explanation, see Van Hoek, 1987, 25). On the detailed drawings of individual stones, the larger arrow

points towards magnetic N. Smaller arrows point down the slope of the rock at that point; a number beside an arrow is the slope, in degrees down from horizontal; the letter 'H' is used where the rock surface is horizontal.

DISTRICT II. INISHOWEN

In this large, rather mountainous peninsula the

greatest concentration of rock-art is in the W.

Except for the fine decoration on the standing stone at Ardmore (DON 67) the petroglyphs of

this District are not impressive. In most cases they consist of cups alone and in only a few cases are

there cups with one or two surrounding rings. A

small concentration of cup-and-ring marks is

found at Lough Fad. Compared with other Done

gal sites the Lough Fad group is located on rather

high ground. This is true also of Gollan Hill, which

has a small group of engravings. This hill forms

part of a line of rock-art sites that bounds the E.

shore of Lough Swilly. The rock-art of Inishowen

appears in a variety of contexts (on loose slabs,

boulders, outcrops, standing stones and re-used

stones), whereas Doagh Isle features mainly

outcrops.

DON 43 Norrira 4-10-3 / 401-237 / C 458-514 / 45m J 1km. (DAS 464)

DON 44 Rashenny 11-1-4 / 023-531 / C 422-476 / 110m. / 1.2km. (DAS 472)

DON 45 Altashane ox Cabadooey 11-1-5 / 097-462 / C 430-467 / 76m. / 1.2km. (DAS 335, Bg. 30)

DON 46 Glenmakee 11-1-6/177-493/C 438-472/50m. / lkm. (DAS 1472)

DON 47 Carndoagh 164-530 / C 437-474 / 15m. / lkm.

(Fig. 3a) A roughly triangular standing stone about 160cm. high which leans to the E. On the E. face are at

least four weathered cups, and on the W. face are twelve

cups, one of them uncertain. (DAS 367)

DON 48 Knockergrana 12-2-5 / 339-484 / C 552-470 / 75m. / 2km.

DON 49 Straid 1. 10-6-3 / 395-447 / C 364-467 / 15m. /

2km. (DAS 1610)

DON 50 Straid 2. 10-6-6 / 402-350 / C 365-456 / 75m. /

2km. (DAS 667) DON 51 Straid 3. (DAS 667)

DON 52 Roosky 10-7-1 / 522-382 / C 378-458 / 45m. /

2.5km. (DAS 905)

DON 53 Clehagh 10-7-2 / 608-382 / C 399-465 7 75m. /

3km. A long and low outcrop ridge bearing several

crosses, some plain, some with T-shaped terminais and some irregular grooves, as well as a very faint text and some other letters. There are at least 29 roughly carved

cups and one cup, possibly tailed, with an oval ring of

rather large individual pockmarks. There is also an

incomplete ring, some 22cm. across. (DAS 652) This site could incorporate DAS 648 (Bally?fj?n),

which was not located by DAS.

DON 54 Cloontagh 10-12-4 / 735-217 / C 399-442 / 120m. / 5km. A faint ridge of rock, running E-W., had a

slightly domed upper surface with 7 single cups, some

rather large but shallow, two cups with one ring and two

cups with two rings. The rock was removed in May 1988 and set up as a gate-pier. One end has flaked off (that left

of the dotted line in Fig. 2a, which shows the rock in its

original condition) and is kept nearby. (DAS 653)

DON 55 Meendoran 1. 10-16-4 / 728-153 / C 398-435 /

128m. / 6km. (Van Hoek and Van Hoek, 1985, Site A,

Fig.l)

21

^3

93S

92

Y

91

87 90

86

82 84?

.85

81

.-? -v 78 79

52 i 49 53

50-51 o 5^ ^5

'47

o 55

59 56-58

61 II

63

/65 64

?L

67?

./*"

68

'69-72 73

o

7?f

1

75

0 K:m 10 76 <

48

62

? N.

O Cup-and-ring stones

Cups-only stones

Fig. 1. Map of rock art sites in Donegal Districts I to III and V. For details of District I (Doagh Isle), see Part I (Van Hoek, 1987).

DON 56 Meendoran 2. 629-026 / C 123-397 / 150m. / 7km. (Fig. 2b) On the W. end of an irregular rocky ridge in boggy terrain, overlooking Lough Fad to the N., are four cups, one certainly and another possibly ringed. (DAS 659)

DON 57 Meendoran 3.710-029 (Fig. 2c) Some 800m. E. of Meendoran 2 is a similar ridge with another carved outcrop, sloping 20?E. It bears three cups and four much worn ringed cups. (DAS 659)

DON 58 Meendoran 4. 708-029 (Fig. 2d) About 25m. SW. of Meendoran 3 and at the W. end of the same ridge

is an outcrop sloping 17?S. This bears two small cups, each with one ring and with two small cups between. All sites in this area are difficult to find as the rocks are

heavily covered with lichen.

DON 59 Gortleck. 19-5-4 / 030-311 / C 324-387 / 170m. / 2.5km. (DAS 1569)

DON 60 Ballyannan. 18-12-3 / 925-249 / C 321-380 / 110m. / 1.5km. (DAS 662)

DON 61 Glebe. 18-12-6 / 855-135 / C 315-370 /50m. / 0.5km. (Fig. 3b) A standing stone with at least fifteen cups on its SW face. Six of the cups are rather small and

22

two are connected by a groove to form a dumbbell. (DAS 419, Fig. 33)

DON 62 Ballvargus. 31-1-3 / 231-547 / C 541-349 ; 105m. / 3km. (DAS 343)

DON 63 Tullvarvan. 29-2-4 / 288-475 / C 352-341 / 60m. / 2km. (DAS 661)

DON 64 Ballynahone. 38-2-3 / 435-577 / C 368-285 / 170m. / 2.7km. (DAS 355)

DON 65 Lisfannan. 38-1-6/165-470/ C 338-275 / 180m. / 0.5km. (DAS 655)

DON 66 Carrowmullin. 38-2-4 / 247-503 / C 348-281 / 150m. / 1.5km. Not located. (DAS 650)

DON 67 Ardmore. 39-7-4 / 500-348 / C 472-264 / 43m. / 0.9km. (Fig. 3c) A large and massive standing stone some 230cm. high stands some 100m. NE. of nearby houses. It may once have been prostrate, judging by two

possible plough-scratches near its base and by the fact that several markings have flaked off here. The smooth

NE. face has one cup, but the SE face bears a heavy concentration of designs forming more or less two rows from base to top. There are twelve cups, of which seven form a row on the left-hand side. Below this row, near the base, are the remains of three irregular concentric

rings (possibly without a central cup). The row of motifs on the right consists of four cups with one ring, three

cups with two rings, three cups with three rings (of which two have a runner cup on the outer ring), and a cup with

one ring that is surrounded by the faint traces o? a

single-convolution left-handed spiral, also enclosing a

cup. Most of the rings are incomplete, gapped and quite often irregular or angular. The radial line reported in DAS could not be located. (DAS 340. PI. 112; Weir 1980, 125)

DISTRICT III. THE LAGAN DISTRICT

This area, for our purposes bounded by the River

Swilly and the River Foyle and with 6-inch sheet 68 at its SW7. corner, consists of a rather low.

rolling landscape with a few groups of somewhat

higher hills. There are only a few examples of rock-art in this fertile district, again mainly simple cups. Some antiquities in the area occupy promi nent positions on the top of rather isolated hills.

Important in this respect is the impressive stone

circle of Beltany.

DON 68 Castleforward. 47-13-1 ? / ? / C 325-174 20m. 3km. A stone, once possibly standing upright, in the old

deerpark of Castleforward was said to bear cupmarks. In the last century it was knocked down, broken in two and one half carried awav. Nothing now remains. (Kinahan 1888, 437)

DON 69 Trimragh 1. 453-12-5 / 820-183 / C 214-117 /

15m. / 0.5km. (DAS 668)

DON 70 Trimragh 2. (DAS 668)

Fig. 2. Rock art in Donegal. A: Cloontagh (DON 54). B: Meendoran 2 (DON 56). C: Meendoran 3

(DON 57). D: Meendoran 4 (DON 58). Larger arrow points to magnetic N. (1988). Scale bar is lOOcms

long.

23

sw

a. Carndonaglu

b. Glebe?

c. Ardmore?

d. Barnes Lower - South.

e. Barnes Lower - North.

I?5c*i.

Fig. 3. Decorated standing stones in Co. Donegal.

24

?L. . . / / ?-*

\ ... / 0 SS

" ^ * / \

t .- \ .*v X *\

-Li ^^

Fig. 4. Stone circle at Beltany and decorated standing stones (DON 75). Individual decorated stones

are numbered (see text). The scale marked 'lOrn.' is the scale for the plan. The elevations of iiKlividual

stones are at varying scales : against each elevation is marked a small scale bar, which is in each case 20cms

long.

DON 71 Trimragh 3. (DAS 668) DON 72 Trimragh 4. (DAS 668) DON 73 Sallybrook. 54-10-6 / 442-218 / C 273-121 / 45m.

/ 3km. (DAS 480) DON 74 Ballyholey Far. 62-10-2/ ? / C260-050 approx. /

200m. / 7km. (DAS 647)

DON 75 Tops. 70-6-4 / 267-312 / C 255-005 / 105m. /

12km. (Fig. 4) Beltany stone circle is one of the best

known prehistoric monuments in the County. It consists

of a large circle of 65 nearly contiguous slabs set upright,

many now leaning outwards. The circle encloses a dis

turbed area with many smaller stones. Starting at the

WSW., where two prominent stones form a kind of

alcove, the stones are numbered from 1 to 65. Stone No.

39 has been known for rrfany years to have a large

number of cupmarks, but a close inspection by the writer in July 1984 revealed at least three, perhaps four, addi

tional cupmaxked stones. The first stone that may have carvings is No. 6, which

has four doubtful cups on its outer face, three almost

below ground-level. Another, No. 24, has four cups on

its outer face. No. 39, already mentioned, has at least

forty-three cups on its inner face, many obscured by loose material and earth. The possible cup on the exter

nal face, mentioned by the DAS, could not be located.

Further to the NW., No. 45 bears five cups on its

external face, one with faint traces of a possible ring or

perhaps a recess-band. No. 53 is a very large slab with

five cups on its external face. To me SE. of me stone cirde is a standing stone some

2m. high, for which Boyle Somerville suggested an

astronomical function. This seems to be confirmed by

25

the positions of the carved kerb-stones: No. 24, which

faces the standing stone, and No. 53 are exactly aligned on the Mid-Winter sunrise (indicated by the dashed line on Fig. 4). The stone circle is said to have another such

alignment on May-Day (la Bealtaine), as a line which runs from No. 2 through No. 39 is aligned on the sunrise on that day (indicated by the dotted/ dashed line on Fig.

4). There might be other such lines from.the centre

running through Nos. 45 and 53 but these are very uncertain. (DAS 329, Fig. 29; Boyle Somerville 1923,

212; Burl 1976, 252; Weir 1980,125; and see now Burl

1987, 12-14).

DON 76 Kilmonaster. 70-14-6 / 420-060 / C 270-970 /

60m. / 15km. (DAS p. 15)

DISTRICT IV. THE MOUNTAINS OF DONEGAL

Two impressive mountain ranges make up most of

a very large district which is surprisingly poor in

prehistoric rock-art. Only one site is known, in a

valley at Malin More. It is probably of much

earlier date than the cup-and-ring art of the other

Districts.

DON 77 Malin More. 89-3-6 / 688-476 / G 518-826 / 75m. / 2km. (Fig. 5) The decoration is found on two slabs

forming part of a large, partially reconstructed, court

tomb very close to the river in Malin More Glen. In a small side-chamber to the left of the main

entrance is a slab (Fig. 5b) decorated with two concen

tric rings, of which the outer is incomplete, without a

cup, and four curved grooves, one much resembling a

spiral found at Mevagh A but on a much larger scale. The entrance-stone to a similar side-chamber is more

elaborately ornamented. It features at least seven simi

larly curved grooves, a set of three arcs, and two

lozenge-shaped figures with concave sides (Fig. 5a). That the grooves on both stones are rather thinly

engraved, together with the complete absence of cups,

readily distinguishes this art-form from normal cup-and

ring art. In this respect it is often stated that the decor ation is akin to the art of the passage tombs of Co.

Meath. This is definitely so, although the ornament at Malin More is somewhat different. The closest parallels occur on three stones of a small stone chamber, now

open to the air, built into a hillside at Cloverhill, Co

Sligo. (DAS 37, Pis. 1-3; Herity 1971,28-31; Weir 1980

131).

DISTRICT V. THE SMALLER PENINSULAS

This district is bounded by the River Swilly to the S. and E. and has 6-inch sheet 16 at its NW. corner. Deeply penetrating estuaries form a series

of smaller peninsulas of which Rosguill and Fanad are the most prominent. Although the hills S. of

these peninsulas have the largest concentration of

rock-art sites, the most important site in Donegal

(Mevagh) is situated in Rosguill and will be fully described and discussed. The remaining group

again consists of simple examples of rock-art with

the exception of the engravings on the standing stones at Barnes Lower.

DON 78 Doon Glebe. 52-16-4 / 725-026 / C 107-101 / 35m. / 8km. (DAS 398)

DON 79 Conwal. 53-13-5 /111-066 / C 139-105 / 15m. / 5km. A slab here (DAS 1542.5, Fig. 135d) bears four

cupmarks that could be prehistoric. Some more doubtful

depressions occur on another slab. (DAS 1542.11)

DON 80 Castlebane. 53-7-5 / 577-343 / C188-135 / 120m. / 1.8km. (DAS 774)

DON 81 Bellville or Gartan. 44-14-5 / 323-000 / C 006-158 / 105m. / 13km. (DAS 649)

Nearby is Treantagh which could be the Trintagh said by Kinahan to be the location of a cupmarked boulder

(Kinahan 1888, 436)

DON 82 Lacknacoo 1.44-9-6 / 225-159 / C 054-178 / 90m. / 14km. (DAS 1587)

Fig. 5. Malin More court cairn (DON 77), decorated stones A and B.

26

DON 83 Lacknacoo 2. 44-10-4 / ? /C 055-183 / 105m. 14km. (DAS 1745)

DON 84 Legnahoory a-c. 45-9-1 / 051-265 / C 134-189 / 40m./9km. An area of rock outcrop has a bullaun and some large possible cups of the disc type: (a) a depress ion 21cm. in diameter and 9cm. deep; (b) another, 2m. to the E., 22cm. in diameter but flat-bottomed and only 3cm. deep (resembling the disc-cups found at Magher anaul (DON 13) ); (c) some 20m. E. is another possible disc-cup, 21cm. in diameter and 2cm. deep. (DAS 1746)

DON 85 Coolboy Big. 45-14-2 / 313-111 / C 161-174 / 95m. /6.5km. (DAS 664)

This site could be the same as that referred to by Kinahan as Culbwe (Kinahan 1888, 436).

DON 86 Gortnavern. 45-6-5 / 355-314 / C 165-195 / 105m. / 6.3km. (DAS 428)

DON 87 Barnes Lower 1.35-12-4 / 734-174 / C107-245 / 110m. / 7km. (Figs. 3d, e) Two prominent standing stones, each having both faces decorated mainly with

cups. The smaller stone, to the NW., is some 190cm.

high and 160cm. in width. Its W. face has eight simple cups and four cups connected by rather broad grooves to form a large cross (22 by 33cm.). The E. face has at least nine cups.

About 3m. SE. is the larger stone. Its W. face has three cups, one partially flaked off. The E. face is 220cm.

high and bears at least forty-six cups of various sizes and some more complex designs. Near its base is a cup, about 5cm. in diameter and 3cm. deep, surrounded by three rings. The inner ring resembles the recess-band that also occurs higher up. The figure is partially flaked off and features some satellites: a cup between the second and the outer ring, a runner-cup on the outer ring and another runner-cup with an incomplete ring. The

top of the stone has a large (10cm.) cup surrounded by a

partial recess-band. A smaller example consists of a central cup, c. 6cm. in diameter, with a recess-band 13cm. in diameter. Between these is a grooved figure forming an approximate flower design: a long groove runs diagonally across the stone having one runner-cup and ending in a much smaller cup with a recess-band.

Two short grooves spring symmetrically from either side of the long groove at an angle of c. 45?. One terminates in a cup; the other originates in a cup at its junction with the long groove and leads to a cup and two incomplete

rings with a runner-cup in the outer ring. Next to the

long groove is a cup with a short tail and a cup with parts of one ring. (DAS 356, Fig. 31; Kinahan 1888,432-436,

Figs. 4-6; Weir 1980, 125).

DON 88 Barnes Lower 2.35-12-3 / ? / C118-257 / 245m. /

6km. All map-references approximate. (DAS 663; Kinahan 1888, 436)

DON 89 Goldrum 35-16-2/844-095/C119-236/ 125m./ 7km. The capstone of a megalithic tomb in this townland is reported to have had numerous cupmarks. The tomb has apparently been removed but was said to be located to the SE. of the standing stones of Barnes Lower 1.

(DAS 127- not reporting cupmarks; Kinahan 1888,432,

436) DON 90 Moyagh 36-15-2 / 570-090 / C 186-235 / 65m. /

5km. (DAS 666)

F?g. 6. Cup-marked stone of Ckmtaliagh (DON

93), now in churchyard of Mevagh church. The scale bar is 20cms long.

DON 91 Gortnavern 27-16-3 / 876-137 / C 218-304 /

105m. /1.5km. An impressive portal tomb is said to have five cupmarks on its capstone. These are not reported by DAS. (Weir 1980, 128; DAS 55)

DON 92 Gknree 26-4-5 / 796-497 / C 115-339 / 10m. /

1km. (DAS 665)

DON93aontallaghl6-4-6/869-469/C122-405/30m./ 0.3km. (Fig. 6) Immediately S. of the SW. corner of

Mevagh Church, within the churchyard, is a prostrate slab. This bears twenty cups on its smooth upper surface, one being broken off at the edge of the stone. Many are

clear and a few less distinct. Twenty-three cups are

reported in DAS. (DAS 1541)

DON 94 Mevagh 16-8-3 / 871-403 / C 123-397 / 30m. /

0.2km. (Figs. 7-13) (Kinahan, 1888. p. 427-432, Figs. 1, 2 and 3; DAS 660. pi. 7).

THE ROCK ART OF MEVAGH

Although known for more than a hundred years, this fine rock-art site has never attracted the atten

tion it deserves. The descriptions below, however,

will show that Mevagh must rank with the finest

examples of rock-art, such as the Scottish sites of

Achnabreck and Ormaig, Argyll, Greenland and

27

Groundplan.

28

Whitehills 1 (the Cochno Stone), Dumbar

tonshire, and High Banks and Drumtroddan,

Galloway. The engravings at Mevagh were first described

and their importance demonstrated by G. H.

Kinahan in 1888, although his account was rather

brief. Unfortunately, the site was neglected for a

century thereafter and even the most recent

examination by the DAS (1983) was incomplete. There are several reasons for this. Many of the

engravings are very much weathered and good

lighting conditions are needed for inspection. Moreover, much of the upper surface of the ridge

is heavily covered with lichen that is very hard to

remove. Many others are completely covered with

turf or overgrown with hazel, which makes tracing and inspection almost impossible. The DAS did

not undertake any excavation and was able to

record only fifteen figures. A first examination by the writer in July 1984

revealed many additional engravings as well as

highly individual designs, some of which had been

recorded by Kinahan. Because of the limited time

available a second inspection was necessary, which was carried out in April 1986. The latter

inspection established Mevagh as one of the most

interesting rock-art sites in these islands. The

section below gives an account of all the engrav

ings identified.

LOCATION OF MEVAGH

In previous sections it was shown that the N. of

Donegal is quite rich in cup-and-ring art, and it is

surprising that a rich site such as Mevagh lies in an

area which is otherwise poor in examples, Mevagh may be regarded as isolated, as the nearest cup

and-ring site is 15km. S. at Barnes Lower (DON

87). Two other sites nearby (DON 92 and 93) are

of cup-only type.

Mevagh lies on the E. side of the small pen insula of Rosguill, some 3.5km. N. of Carrickart.

It is situated on the rough E. slopes of Ganiamore

(230m.) and is a good example of a coastal site as it

is only some 200m. W. of the shore of deeply

penetrating Mulroy Bay. The site itself has an

altitude of approximately 30m.above sea-level.

Because of its prominent and well-chosen position it offers wide views over much of Mulroy Bay and

the hills beyond. To the N. glimpses of the

Atlantic can be seen. The views to the W. are

blocked by Ganiamore.

The fields E. of the remaining thatched house

(Fig. 7c) are bounded by a felstone dyke, forming a ridge about 250m. long. This ridge offers many suitable places for rock-engraving but the mark

ings are found only on the extreme N. part. Here

the ridge is more prominent, much fractured, and has a steep slope to the E. where it ends abruptly in a steep cliff. Between this cliff and the shore is a

flat piece of land, probably a raised beach.

The N. part of the ridge is about 15m. long and

stretches exactly N-S. Its width varies from 1 to

3m., and its maximum height (viewed from the

W.) is about 120cm. The engravings arc found all

over the ridge and its steep E. slope, but fall easily into groups. Each group is designated by a capital letter and marked accordingly on the groundplan

of the site (Fig. 7a). Rocks A, B and Care isolated

outcrops; Rocks D, E and F form the main body ef

the ridge and have a minor escarpment to the W.

The steep slopes E. of a low stone wall form Rock

G, and this large section has four groups of

engravings. Actually part of this slope is Rock H, but this outcrop is found W. of the wall, near Rock

B.

mevagh: individual descriptions

Rock A. (Fig. 8) This rock bears greatly contrasting engravings. On the horizontal SE. part are two cups. The larger has a

crudely carved ring, and the smaller has faint traces of a

partial ring only. The NW. part, sloping 28?NW, is

usually covered, thus protecting some delicately pocked designs consisting of a very small arc, a small single convolution spiral, a series of three roughly rectangular boxes joined together, and a smaller arrow-like device. Individual pick-marks are clearly visible in each figure.

A continuation of rock A was uncovered in May 1988 and shows a clear spiral-like groove connected to a

U-shaped groove containing a small arc. Near this figure are two faint grooves and a possible cup.

Rock B. (Fig. 8) The next isolated rock has cup-and-ring devices only. The N. part slopes 28?N. and is dominated by a small cup with five rings that are not exactly concentric. Its inner

ring is almost invisible. There are also two, perhaps three, faint single-ringed cups, and a possible cup with two rings. More distinct is a large cup with one complete and one partial ring. There is also a cup with two rings and part of a third.

The rest of the rock slopes 25?SE. and features two worn three-ringed cups. In both cases the rings are not

exactly concentric.

Rock C. (Fig. 8) This outcrop block is interesting for its enormous variety of slopes. The W. part slopes 33?NW. and has a single cup and two cups with two rings. The N. part slopes from 7?-22?N. and shows two cups with one ring, one cup with two rings, and one cup with three rings, the inner and

outer rings incomplete. The upper E. part slopes 33?SE.

Fig. 7. Plan of the rock art site at Mevagh (DON 94).

29

and bears two cups with one ring each, heavily covered

by lichen. The steep E. part is also engraved. One part

slopes 80?E. and has a single cup and a cup with three

rings, all clearly pocked. The other part slopes 65?E. and

bears two single cups, a cup with one ring and a cup with

three rings, again clearly pocked. The carvings on the

upper surface are much weathered. Near the NW. end, where the surface slopes 7?NE., is a lichen-covered

half-ring, 7cm. across.

Rock D. (Fig. 9) This rock takes in the N. part of the main ridge and bears four groups of engravings. At the very top at the N. end are two cups, one with three, and the other with four

rings, all rather delicately pocked. This surface slopes only 4?NE.

Immediately below this is a steep slope (40?E.) in scribed with one cup with one ring. Near the base,

partially overgrown, is a row of five figures. These are

from N. to S.: one cup with two rings, a cup with two

rings that are partially flaked off, and two very interest

ing features. The first, a unique device in these islands, is a cup with two complete rings surrounded by a rosette of

eight, or possibly nine, small single-ringed cups. The rosette is slightly oval. The next feature almost touches the rosette and consists of a cup from which a three convolution right-handed spiral starts, ending in an

incomplete ring around a shallow but rather large cup. Further S. is a row of two single cups, one cup with two

rings and one cup with one ring on a surface sloping about 18?E. Further E. is another cup with one ring. This

ring is rather deeply carved and the cup is on a slight boss-like projection. The rock here slopes 51?E.

Further S. is an indistinct group on a rough surface

sloping 22?E. It shows two cups with one ring, one cup with two rings, and one cup with three rings. All rings here are much weathered.

Rock E. (Fig. 10) The central part of the ridge is largely horizontal. It has two single cups, four cups with one ring, six, or perhaps seven, cups with two rings, and two cups with three

rings. One ring is incomplete. There is only one special feature, a small single ring.

The SE. part, which almost touches the field-wall,

slopes some 7?SE. and is dominated by a cup with five oval rings which are not concentric. NW. of the outer

ring is a domino of four small cups in which a cross of five

midget cups is placed, a design unique in cup-and-ring art. Nearby is a cup with an incomplete ring. Across a

crack, further S., is a single cup, two much-worn

grooves, and two cups with three rings, one being incomplete. Most of the engravings on this rock are

weathered and covered with lichen, and there may be more carvings under the field wall.

RockF. (Fig. 11) The S. end of the ridge slopes from 10? to 32?, mainly to the S. On the upper part is the main group: four cups

with one ring, seven cups with two rings, and four cups with three rings. Some outer rings are incomplete and some sets are roughly oval. There are also some grooves and a single arc. Further S. is a group of four cups, one

single cup, one with an incomplete ring, one with two

incomplete rings, and one with two large rings. On an isolated part to the W. are the faint remains of a cup with two rings.

Rock G. (Figs. 12, 13) The major set of engravings is found on the steep slope E. of the wall. At present at least four groups are known (numbered G1-4 from S. to N.), but more may await discovery.

Gl. (Fig. 12a) The S. group of engravings consists of two cups with two rings and a simple, small equal-armed cross. This is much weathered, and it could not be established whether it was incised or pocked. It may be

prehistoric. This part slopes 40?E. Some 150cm. higher and just E. of the stone wall is another worn cup with two

complete rings on a surface that slopes 22?E.

G2. (Fig. 12b) Some 3m. N. of Gl and again just E. of the wall is a cluster of four cups each with one ring. This

part slopes 24?E.

G3. (Fig. 13) Immediately N. and E, of G2 is the main concentration of motifs. The engravings extend from very near the cliff to the wall and many are either covered with earth or overgrown. The carvings vary considerably in their state of preservation. Some are as fresh as if executed yesterday, showing each individual

pock-mark. Others are almost completely obliterated.

Starting at the S. one will have much difficulty in

identifying an isolated cup with two rings. But only 50cm. NE. is a very well preserved set of engravings: an

exceptionally small cup with five rings, only 15cms in maximum diameter. It contrasts strongly with a large and crudely pocked cupmark and a cup with a large ring nearby. There is also a clearly pocked cup with two rings touching a strange device. This is an irregular box

containing three midget cups. From the box three

straight grooves run SW against the gradient of 10?. A somewhat similar figure occurs at the NE. of this group, but this figure is more oval and has only two, shorter, clearly curving grooves, also running against the

gradient. Across a crack in the rock is a large group of engrav

ings. Apart from short grooves there are at least four teen cups with one ring and four possible examples (dotted on plan). Two of these are gapped, one having its ring-ends elongated against the gradient. Two cups

have two rings, one with a larger outer ring. Two cups have three rings, one deeply pocked and possibly abra ded afterwards. The other is much more worn and its inner ring and the NE. quadrant of the outer ring are

hardly visible. This figure touches a large cup with four

rings, its rings almost worn off. The central cup and a

(possibly natural) runner-cup are better preserved, as is a tail from the central cup. In the outer ring is a very

Fig. 8. Stones A, B, C and H at Mevagh (DON 94). The stones are drawn in their correct relative

positions. The larger arrow points to magnetic N. (1986). The scale bar is 20cms long.

30

?-1

H

?

31

small oval-ringed cup, although this is incised and there

fore not certainly prehistoric. Overlapping the cup with

four rings is an exceptional figure: two concentric rings with a clearly pocked cross-mark instead of a central

cup. The two grooves forming the cross are slightly curved. This is repeated in another example nearby where a ring contains a similar, smaller cross. W. of this

is another isolated and smaller cross, possibly incised.

There are more specialities on this part of the rock: three

gapped ovals and part of a fourth. Touching the cross-in circle is an oval ring. More unusual are three ovals, each

with two short tails, which resemble mushrooms. Two of

these have a midget-cup enclosed. A gapped oval with its ring ends elongated and curving slightly outwards

noted by Kinahan could not be located and is probably worn off (dotted on plan). Probably this, and all the

other worn figures here, indicate the part of the stone once used by locals for sliding, as reported by Kinahan. It was also impossible to locate the double spiral with

single groove that appears on rubbing 2 by Kinahan,

although an old photograph reproduced in DAS shows faint traces of it.

A little higher, however, another spiral was identified in 1986. At first sight it looks like a cup with three broken

rings. But on close inspection it proves to be a small cup from which a two- or three-convolution left-handed

spiral starts, the whole being enclosed by one broken

ring. Further W, is a group of three much-worn cup-and ring marks. One has two oval rings and the two others have three rings, the larger with a tail from the cup. This

part slopes 35?ENE. Across a crack to the N., and very near the wall, is

another interesting group of engravings, usually covered and therefore better preserved. There are three cups

with one ring. Two cups have two rings and the larger has a tail from a rather big cup and an oval outer ring. Touching this outer ring is a small ring enclosing a short

groove -

perhaps the beginning of a cross-mark. There are also two cups with three rings and the better pre served example partially overlaps the cup with the oval outer ring. Exceptional again are two examples of the so-called mushroom device. This part of the rock slopes from 30?-35? NE, Further down from this group the rock is covered by vegetation which may conceal more

engravings. G4. (Fig. 12c) More engravings exist some 450cm. NE. of the last described group at G3. The rock forms part of a minor escarpment and the carved part slopes from 12? to 19?E. Very near the edge is a large cup with four rings

with a small possible runner-cup on the outer ring. There is a tail from the cup. Further up, across a crack, is an oval ring with a small cup. Next to this is a clearly pocked equal-armed cross with T-shaped terminals. Being pocked in the same way as the other figures, the cross is not certainly of Christian origin and is quite possibly prehistoric. Next to the cross is a cup with two rings, and two small cups, one doubtful. All carvings here are rather well preserved, having been long turfed over.

Rock H. (Fig. 8) Some 90cm. E. of Rock B and W, of the stone wall but

completely overgrown is a small rock outcrop sloping 15? E. It has three single cups, all rather small. There are also two very small single-ringed cups. The smaller of these is only 4cm. in diameter and is thus probably among the smallest in these islands. The other is par

tially superimposed upon a cup with two rings, of which the outer is incomplete. To the W. of this small row of

figures is a rather large cup with two rings.

DISCUSSION OF MEVAGH

It is certain that there is, or was, more to be found.

This is clear from Kinahan's report of at least five

rubbings being taken at the site. Only one (rub

bing 1) could be related to the present ground surface and now takes in a large part of Rock G3. It is regrettable that Kinahan did not include a

sketch of the whole area, especially as his

compass-bearings are rather confused. Rock G3 is said by Kinahan to slope SE., while this rock

surface in fact slopes E. and NE.

Also because of this confusion the rocks bearing the designs as illustrated by rubbings 4 and 5 could not be identified. Rubbing 4 might well be quar ried away, as its location according to Kinahan

may have been very near the steep cliff E. of Rock G. On this rubbing Kinahan showed six cups with one ring, two cups with two rings, and one cup with three rings. Special features included a small

single ring, a large single oval ring, and two

grooves forming a cross with a cupmark at the N. end of the long arm.

Rubbing 5 by Kinahan shows two cups with one

ring, one cup with two (or possibly three) rings, and two cups with three rings. There were also two

cups with four rings, each with two tails from the inner ring, the smaller tail stopping short of the outer ring and the longer projecting only a little outside it. Other special features included four

single rings, one oval ring, and a set of three concentric rings with no cupmark. There was also a cross enclosed by two rings similar to that on Rock G3.

Another, unnumbered, rubbing was said to show a large circle-system (Rock E perhaps?) and to the N.(?) were more cup-and-ring marks and 'an open circle with arms' (like that on Rock G3, shown dotted on Fig. 13). Perhaps excavation

would reveal the missing engravings, possibly together with some new examples.

An overall survey of the motifs found at this fine

Fig. 9. Stone D at Mevagh (DON 94). The larger arrow points to magnetic N. (1986). The scale bar is 20cms long.

32

?

4C-+

18 -+

?

51-*

?

Wfc

? 22

0?

-?

33

site reveals some interesting contrasts, in relation both to the site itself and to other major sites in

these islands. Table 1 gives a summary of the

motifs found at Mevagh. The first column shows the figures that represent the numbers seen by the

writer up to May 1988. The second column gives

the total of motifs, including the elements noted

by Kinahan as described above. The motifs are

grouped in the same three categories as at Table 1

(Part I) for an easy comparison with Doagh Isle, the totals of which are given in column three. In all three categories the distinctiveness of Mevagh

o

Fig. 10. Stone E at Mevagh (DON 94). The larger arrow points to magnetic N. (1986). The scale bar is 20cms long.

34

Fig. 11. Stone F at Mevagh (DON 94). The larger arrow points to magnetic N. (1986). The scale bar is 20cms long.

becomes clear. It is very rare to find a rock surface so extensively engraved having so few examples of

single cupmarks. At Mevagh there are only 24-30

examples which is about 12-15%. This is a rather low percentage by comparison with Doagh Isle and a number of other sites. Achnabreck, Argyll has more than 125 cups; at Ormaig, a few km NW. of Achnabreck, more than 250 single cups have been reported (Morris 1977).

The opposite applies in the case of cup-and-ring marks at Mevagh. To the writer's knowledge only one other site in these islands (BaUochmyle) has a

greater number. This is clearly shown in Table 2.

Moreover, the engravings at Mevagh are

heavily concentrated, being found on a surface of

about 80sq.m. against some 340sq.m. at Achna

breck I and 104sq.m. at the now covered Cochno

Stone. Another discrepancy concerns the tailed

cup-and-ring marks that are very poorly repre

sented at Mevagh. Four to six examples occur, which is only 4%, against 48% at Doagh Isle. At

Achnabreck almost every cup and ring is tatted. But in this respect Mevagh is not unique. At

Castleton, Stirlingshire, only 5% have tails (only 3

of the 63 cup-and-ring marks in the whole area). While Mevagh is primarily a cup-and-ring ate,

few sites have such a variety of other designs. Some seven diff?rent figures have been recorded.

Given the presence of very few single cups it is

surprising that nine of these form a design em

Rock E which is, to the writer's knowleo^e,

unique. Mevagh boasts another unique design,

namely the cup and two rings with the rosette of

small satellite single-ringed cups on Rock D. The

final category includes rare but widespread des

igns and unique devices. The former group includes spirals (compare those at Achnabreck), crosses in circles (also appearing on the Cochno

35

y^ ? \ i ^n ^

_J r--^ -*

i?1_) ! \../*~^7

Fig. 12. Groups of decoration on stone G at Mevagh (DON 94). A: group Gl. B: group G2. C: group G4. The larger arrow points to magnetic N. (1986). The scale bar is 20cms long.

Stone), and single rings and ovals (at several other

sites). Unique are the seven so-called mushroom

shaped motifs, and the pocked figures on Rock A that are difficult to classify.

It is often stated that cup-and-ring art is exe

cuted predominantly on surfaces that are horizon tal or nearly so. This is contradicted at Mevagh

where most of the carved surfaces show a con

siderable slope. Only 20 motifs (11%) are found on three horizontal surfaces. The majority (52%) occur on rather steep and the rest on very steep surfaces, even sloping up to 80?. Moreover the

most complex designs occur on the most steeply sipping areas. Table 3 shows the distribution of

motifs and surfaces in relation to the direction and

degree of slope. The majority of the motifs (67%) are found on

the readily available easterly sloping surfaces. If

prehistoric man in fact favoured horizontal sur

faces he had only to move some distance S. to find them. The considerations governing the choice of this specific site are still completely obscure.

In summary, it is justified to regard Mevagh as a

most interesting and important rock-art site, not

only because of the overall number of motifs but also because of the wide range of unique designs.

DONEGAL ROCK ART: CONCLUSIONS

The actual range of motifs in Donegal rock-art as

represented in this survey proves to be much more

extensive than earlier reports have suggested. This, of course, is mainly due to the wealth of

motifs found at Mevagh and in Doagh Isle.

Altogether more than 95 different motifs are

identified in this survey, of which 91 are illustrated in Fig. 14. In this typology of Donegal rock-art

F?g. 13. Decoration on stose G at Mevagh (BON 94): group G3. The larger arrow points to magnetic N. (1986). The scale bar is 20cms long.

36

35

/

/

s?

?7

V

101 Q ?/W\ /

?((?)) / ?>

T\

Q

37

Ill

fi

/

0

?.

I G)

M

I

1.

O

?

? *

I

I

< >

/

t ri Q

0

1

o

?

1

Q

Q

f

I

z/::^

>&

38

D l?) brie//"\'

r\ (f?\ O

+ *

Fig. 14. A classification of the motifs recorded on rock art in Donegal. Stippling is used to show

hollowed areas. Dotted outlines are used for those patterns which were recorded only by Kinahan.

39

TABLE 1A Numerical comparison of Rock Art at Mevagh and Doagh Isle

Mevagh Mevagh 1986 Survey total Doagh Isle

Single cups 24 24 234 Possible cups 6 6 44

2 ? Runner cups 2

Enclosed cups (133 Other cups

?

Total 32 32 317

Enclosed cups (133) (149) (130) Other cups

? ? 39

NB: Figures in brackets are not included in totals.

TABLE IB TABLE IB Numerical comparison of Rock Art at Mevagh and Doagh Isle

Cup and ring marks, tailed and without tail

Mevagh Mevagh 1986 Survey Total Doagh Isle

Elements no. % no. % no. %

(1) cup and ring without tail:

lring 59 46 67 46 52 59 2 rings 40 31 43 30 17 19 3 rings 24 19 27 19 11 13 4 rings 3 2 5 3 6 7 5 rings 3 2 3 2 2 2 Total 129 100 145 100 88 100

(2) cup and ring with tail:

lring ? ?

19 2 rings 1 1 7 3 rings 1 1 10 4 rings 2 4 5 5 rings

? ? 1

Total 4 6 42

motifs have been arranged and grouped according to their most specific property. Other arrange

ments are of course possible. For instance, Mil, Kill, Mill, and MII2 would also form an appro priate group. The motifs have been arranged to show increasing complexity without implying an

evolutionary process, although such a process cannot completely be ruled out.

Many of the motifs occur in other cup-and-ring areas, but a surprisingly large number prove to be

specific to Donegal. The motifs shown in the main

categories D, G and L (Fig. 14) are important in this respect, although some occur in a somewhat different form in the passage tomb art of Co.

Meath. There are, however, a few features that seem to be lacking in Donegal. For instance there are no real keyhole cup-and-ring marks, although the flaked-off figure on the larger standing stone at

Barnes Lower (DON 87) is represented in earlier

reports (Kinahan 1888, fig. 5) as a keyhole. How

ever, the figures at Carrowreagh 8F and Magher anaul 15A, discovered by the writer in May 1988

(see Appendix), can be classified as keyhole types. Donegal lacks grid-patterns. Real ladder

designs (like those in Yorkshire: e.g. the Pano rama Stone) are also absent, but the row of paral lel grooves between tails from a cup with two rings at Magheranaul 15A is quite similar.

40

The maximum number of rings around a cup in

Donegal is five, which is almost a maximum for

Ireland, exceeded only in Co. Monaghan, where there are three examples with six and seven rings (Drumirril 6, 9 and 12).

Quite a number of motifs are, to the writers

knowledge, unique in the rock-art of these

islands, notably AIII3, Dill and 2, GIII3, all devices at GIV, HI3, Hill, LIU and MII2.

In comparison with other cup-and-ring art

areas, Co. Donegal is rich in number and variety. The county for instance has a greater range of

motifs than Argyll, and only the area around Woofer, Northumberland, has more variety. Gal

loway, however, has the greatest number of

special features (238), followed by Northumber land (178). Donegal (123), Yorkshire (115) and

Argyll (90!. Cup-and-ring art is sometimes referred to as

'Gaiician', and it is interesting that some Donegal specialities indeed seem to be repeated in Galician rock-art. Motif H?3 much resembles the spiral in circle found in Galicia, and Kill and Mill and 2 are duplicated there. The motif at LI! features the

TABLE IC Numerical comparison of Rock Art at Mevagh and Doagh Isle

Motifs other than cups and cup-and-ring

Mevagh 1986 Survev

Mevagh Total Doagh Isle

Tail at cup and ring (4) Other grooves 11 Parallel grooves

?

Groove in ring 1

Ringed cross 2

Single cross 3

Rings only 2

Gapped ovals 3

Tailed ovals ?

Mushrooms 7

Complete ovals 1

Spirals 3

Unclassified 5

Total 38

(6) 11

1 3 4 7 3 2 7 3 4 5

50

(42) 69 142

1

12

226

NB: Figures in brackets are not included in totals.

TABLE ID Numerical comparison of Rock Art at Mevagh and Doagh Isle

Summary

Mevagh 1986 Survey

no. %

Mevagh Total

0/ /o Doagh Isle

% no.

Single cups 24 12 24 11 234 37 All other cups 8 4 8 3 83 13 All cups (32) (16) (32) (14) (317) (50) Untailed cup and ring 129 66 145 65 88 14 Tailed cup and ring (4)

? (6)

? (42)

?

All other motifs 38 18 50 21 226 36

Total 199 100 227 100 631 100

NB: Figures in brackets are not included in totals.

41

TABLE 2 The number of cup-and-ring marks at the main rock art sites

Site name and County Type of Rock No. of c/r.

1. Ballochmvle, Avrshire.

2. MEVAGH, Co' Donegal. 3. Drumtroddan, Galloway. 4. Achnabreck 1, Argyll. 5. Boho, Co. Fermanagh. 6. Cochno Stone, Dumbarton.

7. Ormaig, Argyll. 8. Greenland, Dumbarton.

9. Blackshaw 1, Ayrshire. 10. Roughting Linn, North'd.

1 cliff face

1 outcrop ridge 3 outcrops 3 outcrop sheets 5 boulders

1 outcrop sheet

3 outcrop sheets 1 outcrop 1 outcrop sheet

1 outcrop ridge

221 a 129, 145 b 121 101 100 93 78 53 c 42 36

Notes: a. This site discovered July 1986. b. This figure includes all devices reported by Kinahan. c. The Greenland site was completely excavated in July 1985, revealing many carvings additional to those reported by Morris (1981).

double rosette and similar rosettes of midget-cups occur quite frequently in Galicia; LU is repre sented but without its surrounding ring. Moreover

HI1 and 2, and Kill and 2 have been reported from Galicia (Pe?a Santos 1979, fig. 1). Cup-and

ring areas of these islands have only one or two of these specific symbols in common, suggesting that the characteristic Galician motifs die out in a

northerly direction. On this evidence, the idea of diffusion from Galicia seems to be reinforced, and

Co. Donegal, with its many attractive estuaries, could have served as an intermediate landing area for travellers and traders to and from western Scotland and perhaps Scandinavia.

Contradicting this diffusionist theory however are the many notable designs that seem to be

purely local inventions. This is evident at Magher anaui. It is also tempting to regard the rock-art of

Mevagh as a hybrid art. Many motifs seem to link

Mevagh with Galicia and yet Mevagh features

designs that are not repeated even approximately elsewhere. Independent archaeological evidence

concerning any of the theories postulated above is of course very scarce, and the matter remains

open. Nevertheless Donegal rock-art is of great significance in interpreting the distribution of the rock-art of NW. Europe, as it combines elements

which occur from Scandinavia to Galicia with

purely local motifs.

The dating of rock-art, in Donegal as else where, is notoriously difficult. At Mevagh in parti cular it seems that the engravings have not all been executed at the same time. Several superpositions and the many much differing symbols argue against the contemporaneity of the engravings. At

Magheranaul there is a combination of normal

cup-and-ring art and alien-looking symbols. This may lead to the conclusion that, here as else where, the art spans a relatively long period.

In general terms it is safe to assume that these

cup-and-ring marks are prehistoric, and to be more precise, that they are of Neolithic and/or Bronze Age date. But from local evidence at the sites themselves little can be inferred about abso lute chronology. There are however some connec tions with prehistoric structures that will enable us to make some guarded observations.

A more or less distinct group of engravings appears on two slabs of the megalithic tomb at

Malin More (DON 77). Court tombs are generally accepted as one of the oldest forms of megalithic tomb in Ireland, preceded perhaps only by the

megalithic cemetery at Carrowmore, Co Sligo, where we can point to the occurrence of similar decorations in a small, solitary, chamber nearby.

As Bronze Age remains seem to be completely absent in the Malin More area (Herity 1971,13) it

may be that these engravings are Neolithic. Most

Fig. 15. Rock art on stones from Doagh Isle, Co. Donegal. A: DON 3A (Carrowreagh 1A). B: DON 3B (Carrowreagh IB). C: DON 10B (Carrowreagh 8B). D: DON 10F (Carrowreagh 8F). E: DON 22 (Magheranaul 12). F: DON 22A (Magheranaul 12A). G: DON 25A (Magheranaul 15A). H: DON 35 (Magheranaul 25). Magnetic S. is at the top of each drawing ; each arrow points down the slope of the rock surface; the scale bar is one metre. Drawings by the author.

42

| il I / j ^gj

. , ^p ^^

^^y

!_??_-j V ^- / \

t*??-1 x-^^ '

.' , \

_ _. ? ? _, ? ^ - ? ? ? ^*?> ? I i ?Hill I

j'f\| 31 i I ! i-? ^X 1 i u * ! ? m x

\ J

43

TABLE 3 The positions of Mevagh rock-art on the rock slopes*

Slope Horiz. N. NE. E.

Horiz. 2/18 ? ? ?

1-5 - - 1/2 -

6-15 ? 1/2 1/6 2/11 16-30 ? 2/9 ? 6/48

31-45 ? ? 2/28 3/10

46-60 __ _ ? l/l

61-75 ? ? ? 1/4

76-90 ? ? ? 1/3

Surfaces 2 3 4 14

Motifs 18 11 36 76 % motifs 10 6 20 42

SE. S. SW. NW. Totals

? ? ? ? 2 18 10% ? ? ? ? 12 1%

1/8 ? ? ? 5 27 14% ? 3/7 1/1 1/4 13 69 38%

1/2 ? 1/16 1/4 8 60 33% ? ? ? ?

111% ? ? ? ? 14 2% ? ? ? ? 12 1%

2 3 2 2 32

10 7 17 8 ? 183 ?

5 4 9 4 ? ? 100%

* Paired figures refer to numbers of surfaces and motifs respectively (e.g. 2/18 means 2 surfaces and 18 motifs).

likely to date from the same period are the simple cups at Beltany stone circle (DON 75), although these are possibly somewhat later, and may

belong to a different tradition.

There are some decorated standing stones in

the N. of the county, but dating is difficult as

standing stones were erected in both Late Neo

lithic and Early Bronze Age times. About half of

these decorated standing stones are carved on more than one face, indicating that they were

intended to be viewed in an upright position. Others may have been recumbent slabs engraved in earlier periods and raised subsequently because

of their decoration.

One possible connection with typical Early Bronze Age monuments seems to be completely lacking in Donegal, as none of the many char acteristic Bronze Age cists reported in the county is said to have decoration. Another type of mon

ument believed to be Early Bronze Age is the

wedge tomb. The distribution of these largely coincides with the spread of rock-art in Co.

Donegal and it is possible that both cup-and-ring art and the tombs are cultural expressions of the same people. However, apart from possible cup

marks on tombs at Burren, Co. Clare, and Bour

nadomeeny, Co. Tipperary (Weir 1980,103,212) the wedge tombs of Ireland are undecorated. An

example included in this survey, which has a

perforated closing slab (DON 41), is very near the rock-art concentration at Magheranaul. However this evidence is insufficient to suggest that the art and the tombs are contemporary.

While certain associations seem to confirm a

Neolithic-Bronze Age origin, the evidence does not allow a refinement of this chronology.

The motifs used in Donegal rock-art in some cases point to a Neolithic origin, having much in

common with the symbols of passage tomb art. While this has been discussed to some extent, it is

important to emphasise that many other motifs do not occur in passage tomb art. One of these is the tailed cup-and-ring. In this respect it is striking that at Mevagh tailed cup-and-ring marks are

likewise very scarce. Mevagh has other symbols that also belong to the passage tomb repertoire, such as spirals, rings and ovals. All this may wel lead to the conclusion that Mevagh represents a

mixture of rock-art styles developing from the

Neolithic into the early Bronze Age. To a certain extent this idea has also been postulated for the

group of engravings in Doagh Isle, and it there

fore seems justifiable to regard the whole body of

Donegal rock-art as a mixture of Late Neolithic

and early Bronze Age styles, combining locally

developed motifs with symbols introduced from

overseas, with, however, an emphasis on local

tradition.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

During all visits to rock-art sites in Co. Donegal I have been enormously helped by the landowners. Permission to inspect the sites was always given and in many cases I

was guided to the sites. I hope that all these landowners will accept an overall acknowledgment. I am, however,

especially grateful for the permission of Mr J. Boyce of

Mevagh, and Mrs A. McGeoghagan at Magheranaul, to

carry out fieldwork on their lands. The encouragement to write this survey and the kind

advice of Dr J. P. Mallory of the Ulster Archaeological Society has been of great value to me. I also would like to thank Dr M. Avery, Dr A. Sheridan, Mr C. Bourke and

Ms J. Hagan for their assistance in preparing both parts of the survey. I am also indebted to the Irish Ordnance

Survey for their permission to use their maps and to Brian Lacy for permission to use the illustration of

Carrowreagh 8.

44

Most of all I must thank my wife, Elles, who accom

panied me on all fieldwork. In many cases she assisted with the recording of the sites and made a number of discoveries.

REFERENCES

Boyle Somerville, T. (1922).'Instances of orientation in

prehistoric monuments of the British Isles1,

Archaeologia, 73 (1922), 193-224.

Brennan, M. (1983). The Stars and Stones, Ancient Art and Astronomy in Ireland. London.

Burl, A. (1976). The Stone Circles of the British Isles. Newhaven and London.

-(1987). 'The sun, the moon and mega liths', UJA, 50 (1987), 7-21.

Herity, M. (1971). Glencolumbkille. Dublin. DAS -

Lacy, B. (ed.) (1983). Archaeological Survey of County Donegal. Lifford.

Kinahan, G. (1888). 'The Mevagh Inscribed Stones and other Antiquities', JRSAI, 18 (1888), 427-37.

Morris, R. (1977). The Prehistoric Rock Art of Argyll Poole.

Morris, R. (1981). The Prehistoric Rock Art of Southern Scotland (BAR British Series 86). Oxford.

Pe?a Santos, A de la (1979). Breve S?ntesis de la Investi

gaci?n Actual Sobre Los Grabados Rupestres al Aire Libre Del Noroeste de la Peninsula Ib?rica.

Caesaraugusta, 49-50, Zaragoza, 193-211. Van Hoek, M. (1987). 'The prehistoric rock-art of

County Donegal (Part I)1, Ulster J. Archaeol, 50

(1987), 23-46. Van Hoek, M. and Van Hoek, E. (1985). 'A new group

of Cup and Ring Rocks in Inishowen, Co.

Donegal', UJA, 48 (1985), 123-7. Weir, A. (1980). Early Ireland. A Field Guide. Belfast.

APPENDIX A: ADDENDA TO THE PREHISTORIC ROCK ART OF CO. DONEGAL

INTRODUCTION

Since Part I of this survey of prehistoric rock art in

Donegal was published (Van Hoek, 1987a), more rock art has been discovered in the same areas (by the author in May 1988) and 39 entries are appended here. Some 22

cup-marked rocks can now be added to the concen tration known from Doagh Isle (DON nos. 3C to 3N.

8A, 10A, IOC to 10E, 10G, 10H, 16A, 22B and 22C). Even more importantly, six completely new cup-and ring sites have been added (DON nos. 3?, 3B, 10B, 10F, 22A, 25A) and in six cases additional motifs have been found on rocks previously described (DON nos. 10.

11C, HD, 21A, 22 and 35). The remaining five entries note changes to my earlier descriptions. These new finds have slightly changed the known distributions of certain

motifs; the new position is briefly discussed at the end. In the inventory, the names for Districts and Regions are as in Van Hoek (1987a). In the Carrowreagh area, new sites are distinguished by the addition of a letter (e.g., 3A, 3B, etc.). In the Magheranaul East area, some of the sites with a letter are new but some were already known. The six digits given after the name and number of the site are the 6-inch millimetre coordinates. The

maps published by Van Hoek (1987a) may be used to find approximate positions for the new sites. Where

slope is mentioned, the surface of the rock slopes down from the horizontal in the direction given.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

For help in clarifying and improving my English, I am

grateful to Dr. Alison Sheridan (for Part I) and to Dr. M. Avery (for this Appendix).

District I, Region B, Carrowreagh

DON 3A. Carrowreagh 1A. 879 145 (see Fig. 15). Some 5m. E. of DON 3 is a loose slab, sloping 18 degrees

SSW., probably detached from the outcrop of rock at this point. It bears a faint cup and one complete ring on

its rough surface.

DON 3B. Carrowreagh IB. 884 144 (see Fig. 15). About 50m. E. of DON 3, and on the same ridge, is a

loose boulder on a low earthen wall, with a steeply sloping rock outcrop to the S. On the surface of the

boulder, now sloping 21 degrees S., are two large single cups and a cup with one complete ring.

DON 3C. Carrowreagh 1C. 878 144. Some 7m. S. of DON 3, on a lower level and near the same low old wall, is an outcrop with one cupmark.

DON 3D. Carrowreagh ID. 877 145. On a large boulder, some 10m. W. of DON 3, are two

cupmarks.

DON 3E. Carrowreagh IE. 877 146. About 15m. NW. of DON 3 is an outcrop with one

cupmark.

DON 3F. Carrowreagh IF. 884 142. Some 50m. SE. of DON 3, across this slight valley and

just N. of a wall, is a large outcrop with at least 12 shallow cups in various places.

DON 3G. Carrowreagh IG. 885 145. Two cups are found on an outcrop E. of DON 3B. at a

slightly higher level, S of another wall.

DON3H. Carrowreagh 1H. 885 146. On a large flat outcrop of rock (lying just E. of DON 3G) are at least six cupmarks.

DON 31. Carrowreagh II. 885 146. On an outcrop just N. of DON 3H are six more cupmarks.

DON 3J. Carrowreagh U. 885 146. Just E. of DON 31 is another outcrop with four cups plus two doubtful cups.

45

DON 3K. Carrowreagh IK. 886 146.

Immediately S. of the same wall and partially overgrown is a long, recumbent block of stone (perhaps a gate

post), with four large but rather shallow cupmarks.

DON 3L. Carrowreagh IL. 885 154. The landowner, Ned Doherty, showed us a slab with

four small cupmarks, set upright in the derelict wall of

what he told us were the remains of an old graveyard.

DON 3M. Carrowreagh IM. 883 155. NW. of the alleged graveyard is an outcrop of rock with

two cupmarks. DON 3N. Carrowreagh IN. 871 163.

On an outcrop some 200m. W. of the graveyard, and in

the next field, is one cupmark.

DON 8A. Carrowreagh 6A. 899 178. On a large outcrop, just S. offence and some 5m. from

DON 8, are two probable disc-cups.

DON 10. Carrowreagh 8. 892 174. This rock has now been located. It is not covered (as was

suggested by van Hoek, 1987a), but the inscriptions are

very much weathered. The rock lies a few metres to the

W. of the nearby standing stone (Van Hoek, 1987a, fig. 2), and is a large slab projecting northwards from an old, low wall; it slopes 15 degrees SE. On it are the two

cup-and-ring devices previously reported, plus three extra cupmarks.

In the vicinity of DON 10 have come to light eight further decorated stones (DON 10A to 10H). Exact location of these will be clarified by a brief description of the area. In the field containing DON 5,6,7 and 10 (see van Hoek, 1987a, fig. 2), the author noted three small

standing stones which are not listed in DAS. One (which I shall term 'standing stone XX') lies just South of DON

5; a second ('standing stone YY') lies some 30m. SSE. of

standing stone XX. These two standing stones are each marked by an 'X' on the published plan (1987a, fig. 2). A third ('standing stone ZZ') is not marked on that plan, but lies W. of standing stones XX and YY, equidistant some 30m. from each of them. In addition, DON 10 is

slightly misplaced on the published plan: it is there marked 25m. SW. of standing stone YY; its correct posi tion is 10m. W. of standing stone ZZ.

DON 10A. Carrowreagh 8A. 892 174. Just W. of DON 10 is a rock with two cupmarks and also some seven midget cups (to be compared with those on DON 10B below).

DON 10B. Carrowreagh 8B. 896 170 (see Fig. 15). In a dip between the standing stones XX and YY is a

largely overgrown, smooth outcrop, sloping 12 degrees SE. On this are some eight large, crudely carved single cups; two possible single grooves; one cup with traces of two rings; and a large, weathered cup with five rings

which are not perfecdy circular. The rather large central

cup has a tail. There are also 32 midget cups, mainly concentrated NE. of the cup with five rings. This rock has been covered up by the author with turf.

DON IOC, Carrowreagh 8C. 896 170. Some 7m. E, of DON 10B, in a line between DON 10B and standing stone YY to the E., is a small outcrop escarpment with two clear cups and a fainter one. From this site may be seen all three small standing stones XX,

YY and ZZ, as the site is roughly in the middle of the

triangle formed by the standing stones.

DON lOD. Carrowreagh 8D. 896 164.

Two large flat slabs form a pair of flankers to a small gate in the wall. On the N. face of the western slab is one

cupmark,

DON 10E. Carrowreagh 8E. 897 165. About 20m. NE. of DON 10D is a large, loose slab, sloping E., with six large, shallow cupmarks.

DON 10F. Carrowreagh 8F. 898 165 (see Fig. 15). A few metres NE. of DON 10E is the first of a series of very large sheets of outcrop rock. This has a slight scarp to the SW. and scattered over its smooth surface are at least ten

cupmarks. On a horizontal part of the rock, there is also a cup with two complete rings and with two short parallel grooves extending from the outer ring (forming a sort of keyhole shape). All the carvings are very faint, and the cup with two rings has almost weathered away.

DON 10G. Carrowreagh 8G. 897 175. On a large outcrop sited E. of standing stone XX, and N. of a little stream, is one clear cup.

DON 10H. Carrowreagh 8H. 892 174. There are three cups on an almost horizontal, loose slab, built into a low wall, W. of standing stone XX.

District I. Region C. Magheranaul Sub-Region Magheranaul-East.

DON 11C. Magheranaul 1C. 132 133. On the eastern part of this sheet of rock are five further

cupmarks (over and above those reported by Van Hoek, 1987a, 28-30).

DON 11D. Magheranaul ID. 131 133. On the newly uncovered top part of this sheet, more

cupmarks were found, making now a total of 16 cups. DON 15. Magheranaul 5. 130 131. This outcrop could not be found in 1988. It may have been overgrown by gorse.

DON 16A. Magheranaul 6A. 134 133. Another part of this ridge proved to be uncovered in 1988. This large sheet of outcrop rock, E. of DON 16, has two small cupmarks.

DON 21 A. Magheranaul 11 A. 127 121.

Only 2m. N. of DON 21 are eight more cupmarks on a horizontal part of the same outcrop. They are roughly pocked out, rather deep and again close together. DON 22. Magheranaul 12. 129 119 (see Fig. 15). This outcrop, sloping 15 degrees E., proved to bear at least 21 cupmarks of different sizes and shapes; two cups each with one ring; one oval cup with an oval ring-mark; and the very faint traces of a cup with 3 rings. All the

engravings are much weathered.

DON 22A. Magheranaul 12A. 126 113 (see Fig. 15). A few metres E. of the western wall of the field in which is situated DON 21 (and to the SW. of the standing stone

DAS no. 452) is a large, isolated outcrop. On its

fractured, smooth surface (which slopes at around 13

degrees E.) are the much weathered remains of a large cup and five rings, the outer ones broken off at a crack.

There are also one rather large, deep cup with one ring, and at least ten other single cups (one cup not shown on

plan).

46

DON 22B. Magheranaul 12B. 126 113. A few metres W. of DON 22 A and just E. of the wall isa lower outcrop with two cupmarks.

DON 22C. Magheranaul 12C. 124 113. Further W. from DON 22B (and in the next field), is an

outcrop with some seven cups and a possible attempt at a

disc-cup.

DON 23. Magheranaul 13. This long ridge, with its five carved surfaces, had been

completely cleared away by 1988.

DON 24. Magheranaul 14.

This ridge also had been completely dynamited away. Four carved surface are now lost. The debris has been used for the foundations of a building (perhaps a water

works?).

DON 25. Magheranaul 15. This boulder could not be found in 1988. It was probably destroyed during the construction works. It is not known whether any of the engravings has survived.

DON 25A. Magheranaul 15A. 121 130 (see Fig. 15). In the large field where were once the sites DON 23 and 24 (now destroyed), and just W. of the eastern wall of the field, is a flat sheet of outcrop rock, sloping 10

degrees S. It has been quarried away at its eastern edge to form a ditch, and at its W. side by the construction

works which presumably also destroyed DON 23 and 24. On this outcrop are at least 9 single cupmarks, some rather small, plus a number of possibly natural pittings.

There is also a cup and one complete ring with a faint

groove leading from the ring; and 5 cups each with two

rings. Four of the designs merit separate description; I shall describe them in order from S. to N. (1) The most

southerly design consists of a central cup plus two con

centric rings; each ring has a gap on the SE. ; on each side of the gap, a short line (or 'tail') joins the inner to the outer ring, forming a sort of keyhole pattern; there may also be a short 'tail' extending SE.-wards from the central cup. (2) To the N. of this is a design again with central cup plus two concentric rings; the inner ring is

complete, but there is a gap in the outer ring at the SE: on each side of the gap, a short line (or 'tail1) extends from the inner ring and out beyond the outer ring, again forming a sort of keyhole pattern; the more northerly of the 'tails1 was perhaps extended by a line which runs

Eastwards, just S. of an isolated cup and two rings. In both of these two 'keyhole1 designs, there is an unusually large space between the central cup and the inner ring.

Northwards from (2), across a crack, are two further

designs: (3) at the NW. is a cup with two complete rings around it, and with three short parallel grooves at its

NE.; (4) at the NE. is a large, deep cup surrounded by two close-spaced rings and with a band of decoration

extending SW. towards (2). In (4), both rings have a gap at the SW.; this gap is flanked on the S. by a long, irregular but clearly carved 'tail' which extends out from the central cup; the gap is flanked on the N. by a much fainter groove, which extends out only from the outer

ring and runs more or less parallel to the 'tan" on the S. side. These two grooves extend SW.-wards from (4) towards (2); in the 'passage' between the grooves are

several more carved motifs (a small dot; a partial cup

and-ring; and ten short, parallel grooves, very faint). Scattered in this area, outside the 'passage', are what

may be further short, carved grooves. Apart from the

cup and two rings of (4), all the carvings are very much weathered.

DON 35. Magheranaul 25. 084 161 (see Fig. 15). Near the middle of this large sheet (which slopes at 16

degrees to the S) is a very faint set of nine roughly pocked parallel grooves, varying in length from 39 to 75cms. The grooves are of the usual type: they are not

perfectly straight, are not exactly parallel and increase

gradually in width. South of the cup and one ring already noted (Van Hoek 1987a, 39-41 and fig. 12B) is an extra

cupmark; in addition, the cup S of that (near the turf) proved to have a worn ring-mark. There may possibly be

more, worn cups on this stone.

DON 38. Magheranaul 28. 081 151. The boulder reported before could not be traced in 1988, but instead a large outcrop showed three cups. The

outcrop may indeed be the stone reported previously as a boulder.

DISCUSSION

As a result of these new discoveries, Doagh Isle now has 106 cup-and-ring marks (the maximum number of rings round one cup being still five); 164 examples of parallel grooves; four sets of oval ring marks; and three key-hole like patterns.

The new finds modify the picture of the rock art of

Doagh Isle to some extent, but not drastically. Carrow

reagh still has an emphasis on simple motifs: a large number (some 19) of new finds of rocks merely have cup marks; and most of the new cup-and-ring motifs have no more than two rings. The new evidence produces only two less usual patterns in Carrowreagh (see Fig. 15): the fine cup with five rings at DON 10B; and the keyhole design at DON 10F, which appears to find its only parallels in the two keyholes from Magheranaul (DON

25A). Magheranaul West now features one example of a

parallel row (DON 35, Fig. 15). Its size is unusual, but it is otherwise very like the parallel rows common in

Magheranaul East (Van Hoek. 1987a, 42). Such unusual rows are no longer confined to Doagh Isle (for see now the two examples from Claunch 6, Galloway, Scotland:

Van Hoek, 1987b), but Magheranaul East does stil! boast the largest collection, particularly since two more

(differing somewhat in detail) have now been recorded, on DON 25A (Fig. 15). As a consequence, seven sur

faces at Magheranaul have rows of parallel grooves

(though unfortunately one site with these motifs has been destroyed). The three new discoveries do not disturb previous conclusions: there is still no pattern to

the orientation, and the preference remains for rows

with width and length roughly the same.

REFERENCES

Van Hoek, M. A. M. (1987a).The Prehistoric Rock Art of County Donegal (Part I)', Ulster Jnl. Archaeol, 50 (1987) 23-46.

Van Hoek, M. A. M. (1987b). 'Further Notes on the Prehistoric Rock Art of Galloway', Trans. Dum

fries and Galloway Nat. Hist, and Antiq. Socy., 62

(1987), 9-21.

47