Maarten van Hoek The Geography of Cup-and-Ring ... - StoneWatch

FIG. 92: TIME CHARTS AND SEA LEVEL POSITIONS.
that are at an altitude of roughly 25 m OD nowadays, were available
in the Neolithic. The cupules and cup-and-rings on these levels
therefore could be Neolithic.
* 1.5.1.3 In this respect it is important to notice that a
growing number of researchers accepts the European cup-and-ring
symbol to be Neolithic of origin (Bradley 1997, Burgess 1990, Van Hoek
1997a). Many, however, also believe that the megalithic art of
especially the Irish tombs is the cradle for cup-and-ring art. In my
opinion, however, cup-and-ring art originated long before the shortlived
upheaval of the megalithic art took place (Van Hoek 1997a: 14).
Despite this view I think that the Scandinavian cup-and-rings
developed rather late in the Neolithic, simply because the Neolithic
culture was generally introduced later into Scandinavia (Fig. 92),
around 3800 BC (Coles 1990: 7). It must be emphasised, however, that
both cup-and-ring art and megalithic art never developed fully in the
study area.
Yet, also in Scandinavia we find traces of a modest megalithic nonfigurative
rock art tradition (Sogness 1995: 5; Burenhult 1980: 134),
but it is not at all certain whether this is evidence of diffusion from
Ireland. There are however several impressive Neolithic monuments in
M. van HOEK: 121
GEOGRAPHY