Long distance connections within Britain and Ireland: the evidence of insular rock art

Bradley, R. (2023) Long distance connections within Britain and Ireland: the evidence of insular rock art. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society, 89. pp. 249-271. ISSN 2050-2729 doi: 10.1017/ppr.2023.9

Abstract/Summary

Discussions of contacts between Britain and Ireland usually focus on monuments and on portable artefacts such as Grooved Ware, Beakers, and metalwork. New research on insular rock art suggests that it originated in the Middle to Late Neolithic period and continued to be used and re-used into the Early Bronze Age. This paper considers its relationship with decorated passage graves and other structures. It argues that the distribution of rock art sheds further light on connections between these islands. Estuaries, bays, and landing places were important, but the siting of pecked motifs indicates other links along three overland routes between the North Sea and the Irish Sea. Certain practices were shared between megalithic tombs and recently excavated rock carvings. It is possible that they expressed similar beliefs at a time when long distance travel was important.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/114423
Item Type	Article
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Science > School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science > Department of Archaeology
Publisher	Cambridge University Press
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