What is recorded here

Nine shallow cups and rings mark a rounded sandstone boulder on a stony Kerry slope, joining five neighbouring stones in a compact cluster above the Kealduff River valley. The marks are faint and worn, yet their even spacing suggests a deliberate canvas rather than random chipping. A person may have knelt there in upland silence, pressing a tool into stone while river mist moved below. The hills kept the gesture long after the hands disappeared.

This small, rounded, earthfast boulder measures 1.2m x .9m and is at least .35m thick. Six cup-and-rings, one of which is penannular, and three cupmarks are evenly spread across its weathered surface (Anati 1963, 5, No.7; Finlay 1973, 78). 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. 298. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 28 July 2013 In a very stony area of upland heath pasture, on a S-facing slope (248m OD), overlooking Kealduff River valley of which stream to SW is a tributary. One of a cluster of six low profile, decorated stones which occupy a small area (dims. 16m NE-SW; 8m NW-SE) of hillside. Very rough and unfractured sandstone rock outcrop (dims. 1.45m N-S; 1.05m E-W; H 0.5m) with a sub-rectangular decorated surface (dims. 0.93m N-S; 0.68m E-W) having a NE-facing aspect. The rock art is weathered and faint and consists of: Three single cupmarks (diam. c. 3-5cm; D c. 4-10mm); five cup-and-one ring (total diam. c. 12-14cm); one cup-and-partial ring which is complete SSE->SW and NW->NE is located upon the N area of stone surface. Rock art (KE082-023005-) is located 0.5m to NE. Lough Brin is situated to E. Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly Date of upload: 8 March 2017

Likely dating to the Neolithic or Bronze Age, this rock art may have held ritual or symbolic significance, possibly linked to fertility, celestial observation, or territorial markers. The presence of a penannular cup-and-ring suggests a regional artistic tradition found across Atlantic Europe.

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