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| *****SWAAG_ID***** | 996 | | Date Entered | 29/05/2017 | | Updated on | 06/06/2017 | | Recorded by | Tim Laurie | | Category | Rock Art | | Record Type | Archaeology | | Site Access | Private | | Location | Skelton Moor, Forty Acres | | Civil Parish | Marske | | Brit. National Grid | Hidden | | Record Name | Cup marked rocks, their possible origin and context | | Record Description | This Record is an attempt to provide a possible context for the wide-spread practice of cup marking earth fast boulders, standing stones and burial cairns which is such a feature on the moors between Swaledale and Teesdale and elsewhere. See the example on Skelton Moor below.
Many years ago, during an archaeological tour of Sardinia, I photographed the extra-ordinary, cracked, egg-shaped boulder entirely covered with multi cup marks show below. This extra-ordinary egg-shaped boulder was located close to the stepped proto pyramid temple of Monte d'Accoddi. I have thought subsequently that this cup marked cracked egg boulder may provide a reference to the Pelasgian Creation Myth as described by Robert Graves, (Robert Graves, 1955. 'The Greek Myths.'). If so, this cracked egg shaped boulder may provide the basis for an understanding of the origins and context of the widespread practice of cup marking across Europe during the Neolithic.
Robert Graves, Vol 1, Beginnings, page 35, details the Pelasgian Creation Myth. With apologies to Robert Graves, I provide the following very brief extract relevant to this context as follows:
'In the beginning, Eurynome, the Goddess of All Things, rose naked from Chaos, but found nothing substantial for her feet to rest upon, and therefore divided the sea from the sky, dancing lonely upon its waves....... next, fertilised by Boreas, the North wind in the guise of the Great Serpent Ophion, she assumed the form of a dove, brooding on the waves and in due process of time, laid the Universal Egg. At her bidding, Ophion coiled seven times about the egg, until it hatched and split in two. Out tumbled all things that exist, her children: sun, moon,, planets, stars, the earth with all its mountains and rivers, its trees, herbs and living creatures.' | | Dimensions | See attached photos | | Additional Notes | The remarkable cracked egg shaped boulder appears to be a water worn, possibly glacial erratic boulder. This raises at least two questions:
1. Was Sardinia ever glaciated?
2. What forces, if nor freeze- thaw, could crack such a large hard volcanic boulder and how are the two broken sections preserved together so closely? | | Image 1 ID | 7357 Click image to enlarge | | Image 1 Description | Skelton Moor. Cup marked boulder |  | | Image 2 ID | 7355 Click image to enlarge | | Image 2 Description | Sardinia. Monte d' Accoddi Neoloithic proto stepped pyramid with cup marked cracked egg-shaped boulder. |  | | Image 3 ID | 7356 Click image to enlarge | | Image 3 Description | The multiple cup marked cracked egg-shaped boulder. Detail. |  |
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