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. (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. 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), leaning up against S side of field boundary (long-axis NE-SW). Obscured by a large boulder which has been placed over the decorated surface. A linear groove could be seen which corresponds to that depicted upon an earlier survey drawing, at S end of decorated surface (O’Sullivan & Sheehan 1996, 106; Fig. 70c). According to the earlier survey drawing, this stone bears a pen-annular cup-and-two ring motif, having a radial groove extending from the cupmark at ESE; The radial groove extends beyond the cup-and-two ring motif where it is intersected at a right-angle by a curvilinear groove (ibid). A cup-and-ring motif, a partial cup-and-ring motif and several, relatively short intersecting linear grooves, are located adjacent to S. According to the SMR file and local information, this stone is ex-situ and was moved to the field boundary during land clearance in modern times. A relatively recent breach (Wth c. 4m) has been made in the boundary, adjacent to W of the rock art location. Rock art (KE072-017----) is located c. 0.6m to W. Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly Date of upload: 5 July 2017