New Prehistoric Rock Carvings Discovered In Northern England

University Of Newcastle On Tyne/Eureka ^ | 1-14-2005 | Aron Mazel

[blam]

Contact: Aron Mazel
a.d.mazel@ncl.ac.uk
44-191-222-7845
University of Newcastle upon Tyne

New prehistoric rock carvings discovered in Northern England

Example of rock art at Weetwood Moor, Northumberland (credit, Aron Mazel)

More than 250 new examples of England's finest array of prehistoric rock art carvings, sited close to the Scottish border, have been discovered by archaeologists compiling a unique database.

Now over one thousand of the 'cup and ring' carvings can be admired on a new website, which carries 6,000 images and is said to be the most comprehensive of its kind in the world.

The site, which goes live today, includes the 250 panels unearthed during a two-and-a-half year trawl of some of England's remotest countryside, in the expansive moorlands of Northumberland.

Experts, however, are still grappling with the origins and meaning of these abstract carvings, believed to be the work of Neolithic and Early Bronze Age people between 6000 and 3500 years ago, although there are several theories.

Among the new discoveries made by the University of Newcastle upon Tyne archaeologists is a collection at Goatstones, near Wark, where a haul of 14 carved stones was spotted and recorded for the first time. Elsewhere in the county, a local farmer alerted the team to seven panels on his land, which had not been previously recorded.

Old favourites will also be featured in the website, such as the country's largest collection of rock art featured in one place, at Roughting Linn.

Inspiration for the project came from the Northumberland rock art specialist, Dr Stan Beckensall, who donated his archive of books, photographs, drawings, rubbings and more to Newcastle University. Funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Board enabled Dr Stan Beckensall and University archaeologist Dr Aron Mazel to take things a step further.

For the past two and a half years the pair have been updating and expanding the resource so that a comprehensive archive accessible for all elements of the international community – academic and school children alike – can be made available.

The new website, which goes live today, has been created with the help of Heritage Media, a company specialising in the design of websites for heritage topics, set up by Newcastle University graduates Jessica Kemp and Marc Johnstone, together with computer database and website expert Horacio Ayestaran. The principal investigator was Prof Geoff Bailey, previously at Newcastle University but now with the Department of Archaeology at the University of York.

Features of the new website, which can be viewed at http://rockart.ncl.ac.uk include:

A browse facility where users can view all panels or browse by parish, map, panel type, location, access (including suitability for wheelchairs), image type, and art motifs

• An advanced search facility

• An extensive bibliography of Northumberland rock art for academic and specialist users

• An 'interactive zone', mainly aimed at younger and non-specialist users. Features include video and audio clips, games with a rock art theme, photo galleries presenting some of the project's finest images of Northumberland rock art and showing the team and colleagues at work

• An archive featuring around 6,000 images, including 360 degree photographs ('bubbleworlds') showing rock art in its landscape setting, drawings, digital images, and digitised slides and negatives.

Project leader, Aron Mazel, of Newcastle University's School of Historical Studies, said: "It's incredibly important that we are aware of our heritage, not least because it helps us understand our own origins and identities. Our team has spent the last few years on a prehistoric 'adventure' and now we're at the stage where we can share our finds with others.

"The Beckensall archive gave this project a head start but we've also been very excited to find new specimens of this very special art. There are likely to be more carved stones there hidden under the undergrowth so we're sure this is not the end of the story," said Dr Mazel, adding that he hoped that the information presented on the website would encourage further research into this special archaeological resource.

Stan Beckensall added: "One of the key aims was to promote widespread enjoyment of this fascinating part of our history, and the web was the obvious medium to reach out to the 21st century historian, amateur and professional alike.

"I'm sure the artists who hammered their symbols on the stones thousands of years ago, on their windswept moorland settlements, never imagined their work would become such a world phenomenon as this!"

John Holmes, One NorthEast director of regeneration and tourism, said: "The site is great news for visitors looking to explore the region's amazing and little known historical treasures including ancient rock art, Iron Age hillforts and standing stones.

"Hopefully this will whet the appetite of many would be visitors, keen to see these rock features in the flesh, and give people an extra reason to make the

North East of England a place to visit this year."

### One NorthEast will be making it easy for visitors to access this new site by adding a link from www.visitnorthumbria.com

MEDIA INFORMATION: Interviews: Dr Aron Mazel 44-191-222-7845 or 44-774-313-0466. Available from 0900 to 1600 GMT Friday January 14 only. Email: a.d.mazel@ncl.ac.uk

Photographs: The following are available for use free of charge and can be downloaded from Newcastle University website:

Example of rock art at Weetwood Moor, Northumberland (credit, Aron Mazel): http://www.ncl.ac.uk/press.office/press.release/photos/230WeetwoodMoor_3a.jpg

Example of newly-discovered rock art (picture) at Snook Bank, Northumberland (credit, Aron Mazel): http://www.ncl.ac.uk/press.office/press.release/photos/225SnookBankPIC.jpg

Example of newly-discovered rock art (drawing) at Snook Bank: (credit, Stan Beckensall) http://www.ncl.ac.uk/press.office/press.release/photos/226SnookBankDRAWING.jpg

Aron Mazel and Stan Beckensall with Northumberland rock art (credit North News and Pictures): Portrait: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/press.office/press.release/photos/2278_ANCIENT_CARVINGS.jpg Landscape: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/press.office/press.release/photos/2287_ANCIENT_CARVINGS.jpg

END OF PRESS RELEASE: Issued by Newcastle University Press Office. Further information from Claire Jordan. Tel. 44-191-222-6067/7850 or 44-781-675-6027. Email press.office@ncl.ac.uk

[Salamander]

Have you noticed how -hard- it is to find photos of that mummified man on the net, of late? It seems as though the evidence is being reburied. The only place he shows up is on what seem to be "Aryan" websites:

I will never forget the Discover channel promos for the show.

As the sands blew away to reveal his face I thought to myself "Oh my God...it's a Celt!".

[PoorMuttly]

Me TOO !!!

...droozle, dreezle, drazzle, drome...

..........time for Muttly to go eat.

[Little Bill]

Spent the worst two weeks of my life in Newcastle On Tyne, when I worked for ICI. The beer was excellent, the people were drunk and surly, most of the time, and anti American. If I had a choice, I would rather spend two weeks in Lawrense Mass, the drug dealers and Illegals have better manners.

[blam]

"If I had a choice, I would rather spend two weeks in Lawrense Mass, the drug dealers and Illegals have better manners."

My heritage is English and my ex-mother-in-law was from England (Blackpool), terrible manners. (she hit me on the head with a vacuum cleaner pipe once when I went to her house to make-up with her daughter).

[blam]

"As the sands blew away to reveal his face I thought to myself "Oh my God...it's a Celt!"."

The oldest paper ever discovered in the world was in this area...and, it had Tocharian written on it...the language they are believed to have spoken. Tocharian is an Indo-European language that is closest related to ancient Celtic languages. (Case closed!)

[blam]

"As the sands blew away to reveal his face I thought to myself "Oh my God...it's a Celt!"."

The oldest paper ever discovered in the world was in this area...and, it had Tocharian written on it...the language they are believed to have spoken. Tocharian is an Indo-European language that is closest related to ancient Celtic languages. (Case closed!)

[Little Bill]

Did she have all of her teeth, dental hygiene in England is very bad, rotting teeth lead to ill humor. Look at Price Chuck, He has an Estate out side of the Town my Family vacated almost 400 years ago worth about $500 million, I bet he doesn't own a tooth brush.

[Lazamataz]

....proving that even prehistoric man knew about sperm and eggs.

[Lazamataz]

First translated phrase turned out to be: "For a good time, call XXXXX"

Next was, "Anybody that wants a XXXX, meet me here Thursday at 9 p.m."

I actually saw something like those exact two phrases on a bathroom wall once.

So I whipped out a permanent magic marker, and wrote, "I called the person at XXXXX and told them to meet you here Thursday at 9 p.m."

Just trying to do my little part in the grand scheme of things.

[Heatseeker]

It's world's oldest 33 rpm record...

Not so sure. If it's neolithic that'd mean 78 speed. I don't you get to 33's until the bronze age. So that'd rule out Brian Jones and the Ramones.

I say it's Muddy Waters. ;)

[PoorMuttly]

could be Robert Johnson.

Wrong haircut, I guess. Electric Mud album looks a little like it.

[Heatseeker]

I agree and am impressed with your superior archaeological expertise.

[PoorMuttly]

Muttly is a general expert.

Advanced Practioner of Neumanistic WhatMeWorryism.

[PoorMuttly]

Science is a beautiful thing.

[Salamander]

Ha!

[thanks for the info Blam. I'd never heard that before]

My surname is a variant of a proto/pan/Celtic deity name found in many forms literally everywhere in Europe and the Mediterranean.
That's how I got into this stuff in the first place many years ago....:))

[Salamander]

Actually, if you check the back of your PC sound card, you'll see a symbol that's identical to that and just as indecipherable.

[it's either "mic in" or "line in"...I could never tell]...;))

[Salamander]

I heard that if you play it backwards it says "Turn me on, dead man".

[yes...this thread *is* rapidly devolving into a theater of the absurd....and I *like* it!].....;))

[Drango]

Are any of those carvings in Times New Roman, 'cause if they are, cBS will report on 'em.

[Heatseeker]

LOL. BTW Salamander, if that picture of the gal with the red hair on your FR page is you, you probably don't want to read this thread about red hair being traced (supposedly) to Neanderthals. :)

[blam]

Read this:

The Neanderthal Theory