Pictures included of both areas of rock art.
The main rock-art image appears almost like an iron-age banjo enclosure, with numerous bulbous structures in positive relief within.
Interpretations vary, but I am of the opinion that the positive relief ‘mounds’ represent the neighbouring hills (Win hill, Crook hill, Ladybower Tor and the raised areas of Bamford moor to the East), the grooves within, effectively represent the Rivers Ashop and Derwent, and small river from accumulations of water from areas north of Moscar Moor (to the East)
The rock art seems to represent the hills and valleys and rivers before the formation of the Ladybower reservoir...in effect ‘a map’ in the truest sense.
additional images included of the extra ring-marked art...
cheers
Aron
The enclosing "banjo enclosure " like penannular motif is not that uncommon in rock art , even the adjacent motif has similarities .
Could you possibly draw the hills that you think are being mapped , onto the shape of the enclosed motif , a rough one will do , just to highlight how you see the possible relationship ?
There's only a small part of the eastern end of the resevoir in view from the rock and prior to the flooding the view of water courses and valleys for that area would only have been the confluence of the Ladybower Brook and the Derwent ,easily imagined today .
"I am of the opinion that the positive relief 'mounds' represent the neighbouring hills (Win hill, Crook hill,..."
You can't see Crook Hill from the stone ,Ladybower Tor is in the way .
Interpretations vary, but I am of the opinion that the positive relief 'mounds' represent the neighbouring hills (Win hill, Crook hill, Ladybower Tor and the raised areas of Bamford moor to the East),"
The problem with that , is the view that is actually seen from the stone differs from the persepctive of a contemporary map . The reality is that by far the biggest horizon is the local one to the west through to the NNE where it would appear over twice the height to that of Win Hill , Crook Hill is unsighted because of that local horizon and Bamford Moor is even lower ,when seen from the stone .
Hi there,
I'm not of the opinion that the rock art represents the view from the Ladybower Tor - as that is largely Bamford/Moscar moors - but that it represents the area as a whole, 'a microcosm if you will', the area about the confluence of the rivers Ashop and Derwent and the run off small river from Moscar moor/Bamford moor... all surrounded by an encircling boundary..
tribal boundary perhaps?
Hi ,
If it is not representing the view from where it was engraved , or presumably the view from somewhere else , it sounds like you are describing a representation of the landscape from a birds eye perspective ,if so where would the bird have to be to see that particular representation ?
The markings are not too clear and accepting the the drawings we have as being accurate , could you place the the various landscape features onto the features of the motif ?
As mentioned earlier, the penannular " boundary" is relatively common and most of the time it encloses a cup possibly with other penannulars or rings .
The main view from the site is across to Hordron edge and Stanage edge. Which brings up questions you've probably already asked yourself. ;)
If you take the panorama view , also potentially represented by the penannular for those who might consider the motif as a boundary in a "map " ,the highest horizons ,seen from the site , are the local ones to the west and around to the north north east ,which appear twice as high as Stanage etc . If the "mounds " on the motif represent hills then they are the highest features .
Please find enclosed images/interpretative sketch to show an aerial interpretation of the countryside to the south-south west of the Ladybower tor site...Win/Crook hills, rivers Derwent and Ashop, the Moscar/Bamford moors and Stanage edge with a step up onto Hallam moor