Scheduled Monument: CUP-MARKED STONE 80M EAST OF ROBIN HOOD'S PICKING RODS (1008599)

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION Prehistoric rock art is found on natural rock outcrops in many areas of upland Britain. It is especially common in the north of England in Northumberland, Durham and North and West Yorkshire. The most common form of decoration is the `cup and ring' marking where expanses of small cup-like hollows are pecked into the surface of the rock. These cups may be surrounded by one or more `rings'. Single pecked lines extending from the cup through the `rings' may also exist, providing the design with a `tail'. Other shapes and patterns also occur, but are less frequent. Carvings may occur singly, in small groups, or may cover extensive areas of rock surface. They date to the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age periods (2800-c.500 BC) and provide one of our most important insights into prehistoric `art'. The exact meaning of the designs remains unknown, but they may be interpreted as sacred or religious symbols. Frequently they are found close to contemporary burial monuments and the symbols are also found on portable stones placed directly next to burials or incorporated in burial mounds. Around 800 examples of prehistoric rock-art have been recorded in England. This is unlikely to be a realistic reflection of the number carved in prehistory. Many will have been overgrown or destroyed in activities such as quarrying. All positively identified prehistoric rock art sites exhibiting a significant group of designs will normally be identified as nationally important. The cup-marked stone east of Robin Hood's Picking Rods is a well-preserved and rare example of Peak District prehistoric rock art. Not only is it one of only a very small number of in situ examples found in the Peak District, it is the only evidence so far identified of Bronze Age settlement on this part of the gritstone moors. DETAILS The monument is located on the north west margins of the western gritstone moorlands of the Derbyshire Peak District and includes a gritstone boulder decorated with a total of nine cup-marks, each measuring c.3cm wide and c.2cm deep. The boulder is roughly rectangular, measuring a maximum of 86cm by 64cm, and lies on the line of a spring which follows the 330m contour. The location of the stone indicates that it may have been a boundary feature associated with a Bronze Age settlement or field system. Further Bronze Age features will survive as earthworks and buried remains throughout the adjacent moorland but have not been included in the scheduling as their extent and state of preservation are not sufficiently understood. The ground underneath the stone is included in the scheduling. SELECTED SOURCES Other Reference - Author: Shackleton Hill, Angela - Title: Cup-marked stone 80m east of Robin Hood's Picking Rods - Date: 1993 - Type: PHOTO Other Reference - Author: Shackleton Hill, Angela - Title: Cup-marked stone 80m east of Robin Hood's Picking Rods - Date: 1993 - Type: PHOTO