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

centripetal pull. Not only impressive multiple ring systems, but also a
range of different, sophisticated motifs, apparently especially
introduced for the use in passage tombs (Fig. 2), appear. This may
indicate that at that time, the practice of executing large concentric
ring systems was at its peak. In the later tombs around the Irish Sea
such cupules with multiple rings are strikingly absent on exposed
surfaces, although some hidden (and therefore rejected) ornament
includes the odd cupule with concentric rings.
Such multiple cup-and-rings are mostly carved at regular intervals from
the central cup, often rather closely packed, showing a considerable
amount of skill. It is important, however, that the central cupule is
more than often rather small. In general, it seems as if the cupule lost
its major role in favour of the visual impact of the big sets of multiple
rings. Taking this idea into extremes,
there are instances at Carschenna,
Switzerland, were it seems as if some
multiple ring-systems had their central
cupules obliterated on purpose,
simultaneously mutilating the innermost
rings in two cases (Figs 121 and 122).
FIG. 121: CARSCHENNA 6.
How does this suggested chronology help us to access the distribution
of cup-and-ring art across Europe ? I believe that this is possible by
taking into account especially the later group of cupules with five or
more rings. Two facts are really helpful. First, it is a general “rule”
that the more rings there are around a central cupule, the rarer such a
motif becomes. Indeed, cupules with five or more ring are very rare.
FIG. 67.
FIG. 70.
FIGURE 122: CARSCHENNA 2, DETAIL.
M. van HOEK: 155 GEOGRAPHY