Rock art in Magheranaul

Described by Van Hoek as 'To the SW of DON 37 (DG004-072001-) and about the same distance SE of DON 39 (DG004-072002-) is a low eminence with a few outcrop surfaces. Field-clearance stones have been dumped here. A few cups and rings were visible, and deturfing and cleaning revealed a fine set of engravings. The field clearance blocks prevented further deturfing; it is likely that there is more to be discovered here. The lower part slopes 10m degrees to the SW. It has at least 11 cupmarks, six forming a clear row. One cup has two distinct clear rings of which the outer one is angular at its SE quadrant. Across a crack is a cupmark with one complete yet irregular, oval-shaped ring. It also has three grooves; one is curved and runs from the cup, the second is short and runs between the cup and the ring, and the third, also short, runs away from the ring. The upper part sloping from 5 degrees to 15 degrees to the SW has a concentration of engravings. There are at least 22 single cups, including oval ones and two tailed ones. There are four cups with one ring each, and one has a clear tail through its gapped ring. There are five cups with two rings, complete and gapped. One cup has three very faint complete rings. Dominating the sheet is one the cupmarks with two rings; it consists of a very large central cup (15cm) surrounded by one clearly pocked complete ring and part of a second one which touches one of the the single ringed cups. A tail runs from the large central cup to the ESE. There are also a few indistinct grooves, some perhaps intended as parts of a third ring' (fig. 13) (Van Hoek 1987, 42-3). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload/revision: : 30 May 2010