Scheduled MonumentsNorthern IrelandDownCup-&-ring-marked stone
PREHISTORIC · CUP-&-RING-MARKED STONE

Cup-&-ring-marked stone

Down, Northern Ireland
NISMR MonID 7615
Period
PREHISTORIC
Site type
CUP-&-RING-MARKED STONE
Nation
Northern Ireland
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)

Overview

History & significance

Cup-and-ring-marked stone is a prehistoric rock art monument located in County Down, Northern Ireland. The stone bears a series of cup marks and concentric ring designs, characteristic of Bronze Age rock art traditions found across Britain and Ireland, though examples also occur in earlier periods. Such marked stones remain enigmatic in their purpose, with interpretations ranging from ritual or ceremonial significance to territorial marking or astronomical observation. The monument represents an important record of prehistoric artistic expression and continues to contribute to scholarly understanding of Bronze Age cultural practices in the Irish landscape.

Cup-&-ring-marked stone is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 7615. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Cup-&-ring-marked stone?

Cup-and-ring-marked stone is a prehistoric rock art monument located in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 7615.

What period does Cup-&-ring-marked stone date from?

Cup-&-ring-marked stone dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a cup-&-ring-marked stone. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Cup-&-ring-marked stone?

Cup-&-ring-marked stone is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Ni. The official designation reference is 7615.

What other scheduled monuments are near Cup-&-ring-marked stone?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Raised rath (1.9 km), Raised rath (2.4 km), Motte (2.9 km).

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