Rock art in Ballintemple

Located in the E quadrant of Ballintemple graveyard (WI040-011003-). Window sill of medieval church (WI040-011002-) set upright and appears to have been reused as a headstone which is decorated with prehistoric cup marks. The stone consists of a shale pillar-like stone (L 0.75m; Wth 0.29m; T 0.09m) with one end of the stone decorated with a series of cupmarks on both faces. On one face are nine cup marks ranging from 2cm to 5cm across and 0.5cm to 2.5cm deep; the largest of these appears to cut the edge of a small cup. One edge of the stone has been broken away so that two of the cups are now on the edge of the stone and only survive partially. Notably, these two cups appear to have met a pair of cupmarks on the opposite face. On this face are seven cups. It is also notable that two of the other cups appear to be directly opposite cupmarks on the other face. In one corner a hole extends through the thickness of the stone. It appears that this was formed where cupmarks on either side have met and broken through the thickness of the stone. The stone was clearly reused afterwards as a window sill; the plunging internal and external bases of the window have been finely carved near the centre of the stone. This window was some 31.5cm wide. The external splay measures 43cm across (Corlett 2013, 14-15). Attached images taken from Archaeology Ireland article by Chris Corlett WI040-011006-_04/05.JPG See attached screenshots of 3D model of rock art created by Wicklow Rock Art Project, School of Archaeology, University College Dublin under the direction of Dr. Clíodhna Ní Lionáin. Photogrammetric 3D rock art model can be accessed at the following website: https://skfb.ly/DN6J Compiled by: Chris Corlett and Claire Breen Date of upload: 21 May 2013

Prehistoric cup and ring marked stone, likely dating to the Neolithic or Bronze Age, reused in a medieval church context. Such markings may have held ritual or symbolic significance, possibly related to water sources or territorial markers.