Rock art in Shanacashel

Two slabs lie at the S side of a field fence, beneath a dense growth of furze bushes, in rough boggy land on the S side of Knocknamorrive hill, E of the Caragh river. Cooke recorded a third stone at this location but this cannot now be located. (1)(KE072-017----) The decorated surface of this rectangular block, which measures 1.22m .4m .2m, is flat. The well-preserved motifs include two cup-and-rings, three cup-and-two rings and one cup-and-three rings. In each case the rings are penannular, and in two instances radial grooves extend from the cupmarks. There are, in addition, six simple cupmarks and a number of grooves, one of which extends along the centre of the slab for about half of its length. (2)(KE072-017001-) The decoration on this slab, which measures 1.3m .5m, is confined to one of its ends and is dominated by a cup-and-two penannular rings with a radial groove. This groove is intersected by a curved groove which joins a cup-and-ring and a cupmark with a short groove, enclosed in an arc. (3)(KE072-017002-) Cooke described this stone as roughly rectangular, 19 inches by 15 inches (.48m .38m), and featuring a cup-and-ring linked to a subrectangular grid pattern (1906, 11). The above description is derived from A. O'Sullivan and J. Sheehan (compilers), 'The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University Press (1996), no. 359. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 1 August 2013 In rough, level pasture (80m OD), on S side of field boundary (long-axis NE-SW); A relatively recent breach (Wth c. 4m) has been made in the boundary, adjacent to W of the rock art location. A smooth and fractured sandstone (dims. 1.22m N-S; 0.40m E-W; T 0.18m) lying flat upon ground surface. This stone has a flat, rectangular decorated surface (dims. 1.03m NW-SE; 0.20m NE-SW) that is facing upwards. A pen-annular cup-and-two-ring motif (overall diam. 18cm; ring Wth 1.5cm; D 4mm; cup diam. 8cm; D 11mm) is located off-centre to N, at E edge; Radial groove (dims. L 8cm; Wth 1cm; D 4mm) extends from cupmark at W. Two single cupmarks are adjacent to N and a pen-annular cup-and-two-ring motif (overall diam. 14cm; ring Wth 1cm; D 4mm; cup diam. 5cm; D 8mm) is adjacent to S. The inner ring is very difficult to decipher and has merged with the cupmark, possibly due to weathering. A pen-annular cup-and-three-ring motif (overall dims. diam. 21cm; ring Wth 1cm; D 3-4mm; cup diam. 9cm; D 10mm) is adjacent to S; A radial groove (dims. L 8cm; Wth 1cm; D 3-4mm) extends from the cupmark at NW. A cupmark (diam. 5cm; D 3mm) is located to S of cup-and-three-ring motif. A linear groove (dims. L 57cm N-S; Wth 2cm; D 5mm) (long-axis N-S) bisects the S-half of the stone and splits at the its N end, taking a right angle (L 10cm) to W and (L 21cm) to E. A cup-and-two-ring motif (overall diam. 15cm; ring Wth 1cm; D 5mm; cup diam. 8cm; D 12mm) abuts the W side of this linear groove, toward the S end. A previously unrecorded cupmark (diam. 4cm; D 4mm) is adjacent to S, which had not previously been recorded by O’Sullivan & Sheehan (1996, 106). A partial cup-and-ring motif and three cupmarks are adjacent to N. A partial cup-and-ring motif and intersecting linear grooves are toward northern end of decorated surface. According to the SMR file and local information, this stone is ex-situ and was moved close to the field boundary during land clearance in modern times. Rock art (KE072-017001-) is located c. 0.6m to E. Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly Date of upload: 5 July 2017