What is recorded here

Cup marks and rings cut into a boulder on River Hill, County Kerry, mark one of the oldest human canvases in Ireland. The stone sits half-hidden in scree and pasture, its symbols waiting beneath grass and memory. What the marks recorded remains unknown, but they still point toward the valley and the lives that watched it.

This earthfast boulder is located on the W edge of a knoll on the lower E slopes of River Hill, on the W side of the Ardsheelhane river valley. It is situated in an area of rock outcrop and scree, and measures 1.35m x .7m. The decorative motifs are confined to its NE end and consist of two cup-and-rings, a penannular ring, a cupmark and a few small pockmarks. 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. 294. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 28 July 2013 In reclaimed and improved pasture field, on an E-facing slope of low hill, overlooking Ardsheelhane River valley to E; Large stream nearby to S. Not located. According to O’Sullivan & Sheehan (1996, 89, 91), ‘This earthfast boulder is located on the W edge of a knoll on the lower E slopes of River Hill, on the W side of the Ardsheelhane river valley. It is situated in an area of rock outcrop and scree, and measures 1.35m x .7m. The decorative motifs are confined to its NE end and consist of two cup-and-rings, a penannular ring, a cupmark and a few small pockmarks.’ According to local information, this rock art stone may have been buried or cleared to margin of field during land improvements. No obvious rock art located upon searching along the field boundary. Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly Date of upload: 6 July 2017

Likely dating to the Neolithic or Bronze Age, this rock art may have held ritual or territorial significance, possibly linked to early farming communities in the region. Its meaning remains unclear, though such carvings are often associated with symbolic or spiritual practices.

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.