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

Cup-&-ring-marked stone

Down, Northern Ireland
NISMR MonID 7883
Period
BRONZE AGE
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 Bronze Age rock carving located in County Down, Northern Ireland. The monument consists of a stone surface decorated with a series of cup marks—small, roughly circular depressions—and concentric ring motifs pecked into the rock face, a characteristic form of prehistoric rock art found across Britain and Ireland during the Bronze Age. Such carvings remain poorly understood in terms of their precise function and meaning, though they are widely recognised as significant expressions of Bronze Age symbolic and ritual activity. The stone's location in Down places it within a broader distribution of cup-and-ring marked stones across the island of Ireland, contributing to our understanding of Bronze Age artistic and cultural practices in the Irish context.

Cup-&-ring-marked stone is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 7883. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Cup-&-ring-marked stone?

Cup-and-ring-marked stone is a Bronze Age rock carving located in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 7883.

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

Cup-&-ring-marked stone dates from the bronze age 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 7883.

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

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Tower-house (7.8 km), Corbelled pig crew (8.3 km), Souterrain (8.5 km).

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