Rock art in Mothel

Originally found in a secondary position in a field wall at an unknown location in Mothel, it is now located in the 'Stone Corridor' of the North Wing at UCC. Triangular-shaped, slaty stone (max. L 0.5m; max. H 0.41m; T 0.08-0.17m) with nine cup-and-circle motifs (diam. of cup 0.02-0.03m; diam. of cup-and-circle 0.06m; D 0.01m), two of which are conjoined by a single circle. Damage occurs along one side with possible later markings visible. (Power 1897a; 1907a; Johnson 1996, 148-9) Johnson, S. A. (1996) Three problematic rock art stones from Ireland. JRSAI 126, 147-51. Power, Rev. P. (1897a) Notes and Querries - Cup and circle inscribed stone at Mothel. WAJ 2, 170-5. Power, Rev. P. (1907a) On a cup-and-circle inscribed stone from Co. Waterford. WAJ vol. 10, 167-170. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Waterford' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1999). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 23 December 2008

Likely dating to the Neolithic or Bronze Age, the rock art may have had ritual or territorial significance. Its relocation suggests it was repurposed in later field boundaries before being preserved in a museum context.