Rock art, Gortleck, Co. Donegal

Co. Donegal |

Settlement Sites

Rock art, Gortleck, Co. Donegal

Tucked away in County Donegal, Greenhill disused graveyard holds layers of history stretching back to an early ecclesiastical foundation known as Desertegny.

The site contains the ruins of a Roman Catholic church dating from the 18th or 19th century, oriented northwest to southeast. What makes this graveyard particularly intriguing is the curved wall running from east to south, which archaeologists believe may follow the line of a much earlier religious enclosure, suggesting this sacred ground has been in use for centuries.

Scattered throughout the graveyard are numerous crude stone crosses and cross-inscribed stones that speak to centuries of local burial traditions. One particularly notable cross-shaped stone stands northwest of the church ruins, measuring 74 centimetres tall with a narrow shaft that widens into shallow arms at the top. What sets this gravemarker apart are the cup marks carved into both faces; circular depressions measuring between 5 and 7 centimetres across and 3 to 4 centimetres deep. These cup marks, one positioned at the junction of the shaft and arms whilst the other sits slightly lower, represent a form of rock art that bridges prehistoric and Christian traditions in Ireland.

The practice of incorporating cup marks into Christian monuments isn't unique to this stone; another gravemarker in the northeast section of the graveyard bears three such markings. These simple yet enigmatic symbols, found throughout Ireland and Scotland, have puzzled archaeologists for generations. Their presence on Christian gravestones at Greenhill suggests a fascinating continuity of sacred symbolism, where ancient marking traditions were absorbed into newer religious practices rather than being abandoned entirely.

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