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

Alternatively, it is also possible that one of the initial Neolithic groups
independently developed the ringmark as their own specific symbol, and
integrated it with the existing cupule-rituals. From this point of origin
the new symbol may have diffused slowly in several directions. Again,
the area around the Irish Sea could have been one of the sources for
the developing of cup-and-ring art. Equally, there may have been
several centres where the ringmark developed independently. The
arrows on Fig. 183 therefore more indicate the flow of the initial
migrations spreading the cupule-execution rituals, rather than the
suggested diffusion of the cup-and-ring art.
No matter what the origin of the ringmark is, it is certain that the
circle became very important in many societies and religions, not only
as a (rock art) symbol, but also as an overall expression of their
perception of the world they lived in. But both rock art traditions
(cupule and ringmark) may have expressed in different ways what was
perhaps the most important aspect of their lives, the contacts with the
supernatural world. These petroglyphic communicative processes did
not take place in the landscape; the landscape was part of, or rather,
the veil between the supernatural. Simultaneously, both rock art
traditions may have been used as signalling devices, fundamental to an
understanding of the organisation of space.
* 3.2.6 FINAL CONCLUSIONS *
Although it is impossible to summarise here the many ideas, theories
and speculations about the geography and meaning of the cup-and-ring
art of Europe postulated in this book, I still would like to present a
brief review in order to summarise the distribution and place of the
European cupules and cup-and-rings.
Unfortunately, cup-and-ring art constitutes a rather obscure source of
evidence of the beliefs and practices of Neolithic peoples and the
explanations postulated here therefore are still uncertain. But rock art
in general may tell us of evolutions and revolutions within ancient
societies and in my opinion cup-and-ring art reflects more an evolution
than a revolution.
The basic tenet is that there exist two rock art traditions that in my
opinion developed independently. It all started with the cupule, which
was gradually superimposed by the powerful ringmark to form
increasingly complex cup-and-rings. Both the cupule and the cup-andring
may be considered to have been important “leitmotifs” of the
European Neolithic petroglyphic tradition. However, although both were
intended for public display and consumption, they probably addressed
different audiences in different ways and for different reasons.
The widespread execution of cupules most likely happened on a public
level, and may be regarded as an expression of the need to transform
new landscapes into cultural and spiritual places. These cupules,
M. van HOEK: 238
GEOGRAPHY