What is recorded here

Kealduff Upper holds a small sandstone ledge where faint grooves form a possible cross beside a single cupmark and radial line. The stone sits half buried in peat on a grazed slope overlooking the Behy River valley, exposing only enough surface for someone to have seen the marks and chosen them. That much is clear. Whether the grooves are a cross, a boundary marker, or the remains of older work is not. The ledge still stands where the ground dropped away around it, waiting for someone to stand above the valley and read what it kept.

In a well-grazed area (diam. c. 30m) of grasses enclosed by blanket bog and frequent rock outcrop. On a NE-facing slope (222m OD), overlooking Behy River valley to NE. Stone is embedded in peat on its S-side and is c. 0.28m above ground level on its N-side. A very rough and unfractured sandstone rock outcrop (dims. 0.67m N-S; 0.80m E-W; max. H 0.28m) with a trapezoidal decorated surface (dims. 0.52m N-S; 0.45m E-W) which is NE-facing. The rock art is weathered and faint and some motifs are obscured by the naturally rough stone surface. The motifs consist of a linear groove (dims. L 22cm; Wth 1-2cm; D 3-4mm) which extends (long-axis N-S) across S-area of decorated surface; A second groove (L 26cm; Wth 1-1.5cm; D 4-5mm) is perpendicular to N, together forming a T-shape. A short groove (L 5cm N-S; Wth 9mm; D 2mm) is located c. 18cm to N. It is possible that these grooves may represent the remains of a weathered cross. A cupmark (diam. 5cm; D 3mm) is 4.5cm to WNW, having a gently curving radial groove (L 8cm; Wth 1cm; D 3mm) extending from W. A small area of pickmarks (dims. 6cm N-S; 7cm E-W) is located c. 2cm to SW. Possible pre-bog field wall (long-axis E-W) located c. 45m to NE. Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly Date of upload: 27 March 2017

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