Rock art, Magheranaul, Co. Donegal

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Settlement Sites

Rock art, Magheranaul, Co. Donegal

Tucked away on a long ridge in Magheranaul, County Donegal, lies one of Ireland's most unusual examples of prehistoric rock art.

This weathered stone surface, sloping gently to the east-northeast, bears an engraving that stands apart from the typical cup and ring marks found throughout Ireland and Britain. At its heart sits a distinctive cupmark surrounded by two concentric rosettes of tiny cups; nine in the inner circle, fifteen in the outer, all contained within a larger ring. The design, first documented by researcher Van Hoek in 1986, appears to be unique in the corpus of Irish and British rock art.

The stone forms part of a larger complex of rock art in the area, positioned roughly 350 centimetres north-northwest of another documented carving known as DON 11A. Along with its remarkable central design, the surface also features five simple cup marks arranged in a row, adding to the site's archaeological significance. Van Hoek noted that whilst similar designs featuring a single ring of cups have been recorded elsewhere, this particular double rosette configuration hadn't been reported before in these islands.

The ridge itself revealed more of its secrets during Van Hoek's 1986 survey, when weathering had exposed previously hidden designs across the rock face. These ancient markings, likely created during the Neolithic or Bronze Age, offer a glimpse into the symbolic world of Ireland's prehistoric communities. Though we may never fully understand their meaning, the careful arrangement of cups and rings suggests these weren't random doodles but deliberate expressions of belief, territory, or communication carved into the landscape thousands of years ago.

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