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

� CHAPTER 2.2.1 �
PREHISTORIC QUARRYING
AND THE “RE-SANCTIFICATION” OF ROCK ART
* INTRODUCTION *
Unfortunately, the demolition of prehistoric petroglyphs is not rare.
All over Europe we find instances of the destruction of rock art due to
all sorts of activities, such as vandalism, agricultural improvement or
road making. One of the biggest threats however, is that of rock
quarrying. The reason for this is quite clear. Conspicuous rock outcrops
suitable for the execution of petroglyphs also attracted people who
were looking for convenient stone quarries. This unfortunately means
that especially decorated rock surfaces are prone to be destroyed by
quarrying activities, often without at all having been recorded by an
archaeological survey.
Although probably hundreds of decorated rocks will thus have been
destroyed, many decorated rocks fortunately have survived after all,
whether because of premeditated actions or accidentally. Consequently,
stones bearing prehistoric decoration are found in the strangest places
such as field walls, farm buildings, museums, but also in more ancient
structures such as souterrains (underground chamber-like structures)
and crannogs (artificial islands in lakes) from the Scottish Iron Age.
Unfortunately their provenance is often unknown in most instances.
In many cases it is rather easy to establish that the quarrying of a
decorated outcrop is recent. One of the most characteristic features
of recent quarrying are the wedge marks that run in a line across a
rock’s surface, usually also indiscriminately across the prehistoric
carvings. Examples are found all
over Europe and occur for
instance at Chandebrito (Costas
Goberna 1997: 68) in Galicia
(Fig. 135). But also at Holgate
3 (Beckensall & Laurie 1998: 92)
and Chatton 2, both in the
north of England, good examples
are found of decorated outcrops
or boulders that have clearly
been wedged for quarrying.
Also sharp edges and distinct
differences in patina between
the original surface and the
broken off part may indicate
FIGURE 135: CHANDEBRITO. recent activities. A fine
M. van HOEK: 170
GEOGRAPHY