The rock-art landscapes of Rombalds Moor, West Yorkshire : standing on holy ground
This study adopts a landscape approach to all the rock-art sites on Rombalds Moor in West Yorkshire, 252 unmoved sites, to consider views of and from the sites. British rock-art is generally believed to date from the later Neolithic to the later Bronze Age, but a case is made for it perhaps beginning in the later Mesolithic. What is known of environments for the Moor over this whole period provides a basis for a reconstruction of rock-art landscapes. A case is made for the applicability of ethnography from the whole circumpolar region to the personal construction of peopleâs landscapes in prehistoric Britain. All sites were visited, and the sites and their views recorded, both as written records and as photographs. The data was analysed at four spatial scales, from the whole Moor down to the individual rock. Several large prominent carved rocks, interpreted as natural monuments, were found to be visible from many much smaller rock-art sites. Several clusters of rock-art sites were identified. An alignment was also identified, composed of carved stones perhaps moved into position, and other perhaps-moved carved stones were also identified. The possibility that far-distant views might be significant was also
Deacon, Vivien
The rock-art landscapes of Rombalds Moor, West Yorkshire : standing on holy ground. This study adopts a landscape approach to all the rock-art sites on Rombalds Moor in West Yorkshire, 252 unmoved sites, to consider views of and from the sites. British rock-art is generally believed to date from the later Neolithic to the later Bronze Age, but a case is made for it perhaps beginning in the later Mesolithic. What is known of environments for the Moor over this whole period provides a basis for a reconstruction of rock-art landscapes. A case is made for the applicability of ethnography from the whole circumpolar region to the personal construction of peopleâs landscapes in prehistoric Britain. All sites were visited, and the sites and their views recorded, both as written records and as photographs. The data was analysed at four spatial scales, from the whole Moor down to the individual rock. Several large prominent carved rocks, interpreted as natural monuments, were found to be visible from many much smaller rock-art sites. Several clusters of rock-art sites were identified. An alignment was also identified, composed of carved stones perhaps moved into position, and other perhaps-moved carved stones were also identified. The possibility that far-distant views might be significant was also
rock_art landscape west_yorkshire standing holy ground study_adopts landscape rock_art site west_yorkshire site consider view site british rock_art generally_believe date later_neolithic later bronze_age case make perhaps begin know environment whole period provide_basis reconstruction rock_art landscape case make applicability ethnography whole region personal construction people landscape prehistoric britain site visit sit view record write_record photograph data_analyse spatial_scale whole individual rock several large prominent carve rock interpret natural monument find visible many much_small rock_art site several cluster rock_art site identify alignment also_identify compose carve_stone perhaps move position perhaps carve_stone also_identify possibility far distant view might significant also