Rock art in Glebe (desertegny Ed)

On the W coast of the Inishowen Peninsula, in rough ground at the margin of an arable field bordered at W a steep-sided rocky sea inlet which opens onto Lough Swilly. There are panoramic views across the Lough to the Fanad Peninsula, where the long spine of Knockalla Mountain defines the W horizon and Crockanaffrin peak is visible in the distance to SW. Visibility is also good to the SE and S. This striking panel of rock art was discovered when a concealing layer of sod and overgrowth was removed during farm works. The decoration is located on the upper surface of a roughly rectangular block of bedrock (3.20m E−W; 1.40m N−S) which slopes slightly down to W. A natural fracture, extending roughly centrally along the E−W length of the stone, divides it into two narrow panels: There are six cup-and-circle motifs, three in a row on the N panel and three in a tight cluster on the S panel; these are interspersed with individual cupmarks and surface pecking. The motifs are concentrated on the W half of the outcrop where the rock surface is relatively smooth and flat; the surface towards the E end of the outcrop is rougher, uneven and spalled, and the few motifs here less indistinct. N panel, moving from W to E: At the W end of the N panel is a cup-and-3 circle motif (ext. diam. 43cm; cup diam. 5cm) (no. 1) with widely spaced rings and a second, shallow cupmark (diam. 3cm) between the two outer rings on the S arc. At least five radial grooves extend from the middle ring to the outer ring; one of these appears to extend from the inner ring to the outer ring. Peck marks are visible across the design. Immediately to E is a cup-in-4 circle motif (ext. diam. 39cm; cup diam. 4cm) (no. 2) with close-set rings which have a slight inward indentation at S, giving the motif an unusual heart shape. An indistinct radial grove appears to extend across the grooves to N. Peck marks are visible in the rings. Four, possibly five, indistinct cupmarks (diam. 3-5cm) and a number of peck marks are visible in the intervening space (c. 0.4m E−W) between the latter cup-and-circle and a cup-and-3 circle motif (ext. diam. 37cm; cup diam. 3cm) (no. 3) at E. A radial groove extends from the cup to the outer ring at NE and a diametrically opposed groove extends to SW, effectively dividing the motif in half. There may also be a radial groove extending eastwards from the central cupmark. Peck marks cover the entire motif, particular pronounced on the embossed spaces between the rings. S panel, moving W to E: There are two clearly defined cupmarks (diam. 4-5cm) at the NW edge of this panel, with two adjacent possible cupmarks. Immediately to E is a cup-and-3 circle motif (ext. diam. 40cm; cup diam. 3.5cm) (no. 4). Abutting this at NE, is a cup-and-2 circle motif (ext. diam. 17cm; cup diam. 2cm) (no. 5), and immediately to SE of this, a larger deeply grooved cup-and-2 circle motif (diam. 26cm; cup diam. 5cm) (no.6). There are a number of shallow cupmarks (diam. 3-5cm) and faint peck marks in the intervening spaces between these three close-set cup-and-circles. Indistinct marks on the rough central part of the E half of the S panel may be the eroded remnants of other motifs but this is very uncertain. At the E tip of the panel there is one large cupmark (diam. 10cm) and three smaller cupmarks (diam. 2.5-3cm). The details in this record are based on measurements and photographs supplied by Bettina Linke. Attached images are courtesy of Bettina Linke: DG018-041----_01.JPG Decorated outcrop viewed from E, with Knockalla on the Fanad peninsula on the far side of Lough Swilly DG018-041----_02.JPG Decorated outcrop, viewed from E (S panel at left) DG018-041----_03.JPG Decorated outcrop, viewed from NW (N panel at left) DG018-041----_04.JPG North panel: cup-and-3 circles (no. 1) at R; cup-and-4 circles (no. 2) at L. Viewed from N DG018-041----_05.JPG North panel: cup-and-3 circles (no. 1) with radial grooves, viewed from N DG018-041----_06.JPG North panel: cup-and-3 circles (no. 3). DG018-041----_07.JPG South panel, cup-in-3 circles (no. 4) at R, viewed from N DG018-041----_08.JPG South panel, viewed from E, with cup-and-2 circles (no. 6) in foreground DG018-041----_08.JPG Decorated outcrop, viewed from N Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 29 November 2021