The Cronk yn How Stone and the Rock Art of the Isle of Man

Abstract

Reappraisal of an early 20th century excavation at the Cronk yn How round barrow near Ramsey in the Isle of Man suggests that a stone pair was demolished during the 3rd millennium BC to make way for a round barrow with a single central burial. It is suggested that one of the stones from the original pair was decorated with a series of motifs before being incorporated into the barrow. Some of the motifs used find parallels amongst later Neolithic incised rock art on the walls of tombs and houses, and on stone plaques. Other motifs, including what appear to be representations of deer, serve to expand the repertoire of known designs and highlight the potential of this kind of this rather understudied category of rock art. Parallels for the zoomorphic motifs can be found in Scandinavia. A review of other rock art within the Isle of Man revealed more than 70 recorded panels at 55 individual sites making this one of the more densely populated rock art landscapes in the west of Britain. Two main styles are represented, the passage-grave style, which includes the Cronk yn How Stone, and the cup-mark dominated style, or Galician Style. The latter accounts for more than 95% of recorded sites which accords well with what is known of the Isle of Man's cultural relationships during the 4th and 3rd millennia BC.

Digital imaging and prehistoric imagery: a new analysis of the Folkton Drums

“…Together, these two A-shaped incisions create a motif that closely resembles in form (although not in scale) the scratched decoration found in the Maes Howe and Wideford Hill passage tombs, Orkney (Ashmore 1986; Bradley et al 2001) (Figure 3). Further parallels include the lower face A of the Cronk yn How stone, Isle of Man (Darvill et al 2005: fig. 6) and a linear marked stone from Fylingdales Moor, North Yorkshire (Brown & Chappell 2005: 69, fig.…”

From Artefact Biographies to ‘Multiple Objects’: A New Analysis of the Decorated Plaques of the Irish Sea Region

“…Another key parallel for the lozenge and zig-zag motifs found on the plaques are the incised motifs on the Cronk yn How standing stone, in the north of the Isle of Man (Darvill et al 2005). This standing stone has a complex history and features incised decorations akin to that seen on the plaques (Darvill et al 2005, pp.…”

Revealing the Earliest Animal Engravings in Scotland: The Dunchraigaig Deer, Kilmartin

“…The growing use of digital recording techniques in the last decade added to this inventory, revealing additional carvings of late EBA axe-heads and daggers on four trilithons at Stonehenge (Abbot & Anderson-Whymark 2012) and, more recently, a possible hafted object at Nether Largie Mid cairn (Watson & Bradley 2021, 225). Other EBA animal carvings include the Cronk yn How Stone associated with a round barrow near Ramsey (Isle of Man) (Darvill et al 2005); Goats Crag rock-shelter in Northumberland (England) possibly related to a Beaker burial (Burgess 1972; van Hoek & Smith 1988); and a carved chalk block from the Neolithic flint mines of Cissbury, Sussex (England) (Teather 2015) (Fig. 3).…”

“…

Figure 2.Plan of cist cover decorated with carvings of axeheads in Nether Largie North. (Plan by RCAHMS, Crown Copyright: © HES)

Figure 3.Other deer carvings from Britain: (a) 3D model of Glen Domhain boulder, Argyll (ScRAP); (b) Cissbury Mines, Sussex (Teather 2015); (c) Eggerness Stag, Dumfries and Galloway (photograph: Joana Valdez-Tullett).

Figure 4.Other deer carvings from Britain: (a) Cronk yn How Stone, Isle of Man (after Darvill et al 2005); (b) Ballochmyle rock face, Ayrshire (after Stevenson 1994); (c); Goatscrag rock-shelter, Northumberland (after van Hoek & Smith 1988).

…”

“…Other deer carvings from Britain: (a) Cronk yn How Stone, Isle of Man (after Darvill et al 2005); (b) Ballochmyle rock face, Ayrshire (after Stevenson 1994); (c); Goatscrag rock-shelter, Northumberland (after van Hoek & Smith 1988). …”