Hunterheugh Crags
Encyclopedia
Hunterheugh Crags are part of the Fellsandstone escarpment, 5 miles (8 km) north west of Alnwick
, Northumberland
, England
and 9 miles (14 km) from the coast. The site is barren moorland
, although prior to the Bronze Age it is likely to have been thickly forested with broadleaf deciduous
trees. This site is most famous for the cup and ring mark
art present on the outcrop.
" and hoh "hill-spur".
, and probably early Neolithic at that. This is supported by the discovery of what appears to be a broken sandstone axehead 1.2 m from the carved rock outcrop at the base of the topsoil. Such ground and polished axeheads are known from elsewhere in Northumberland
.
Phase 1 of the carvings was broken through when the rock dome was quarried at a later date. New carvings were then made on the surfaces exposed by quarrying. These show no attempt to take undulations and variations in the rock (with one exception), none of the designs are inter-connected, and the shapes are more varied and more crudely executed. This phase is believed to be Early Bronze Age
in date and appears to imitate the earlier tradition, but does not share the same sense of positioning.
Alnwick
Alnwick is a small market town in north Northumberland, England. The town's population was just over 8000 at the time of the 2001 census and Alnwick's district population was 31,029....
, Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and 9 miles (14 km) from the coast. The site is barren moorland
Moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, found in upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils and heavy fog...
, although prior to the Bronze Age it is likely to have been thickly forested with broadleaf deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
trees. This site is most famous for the cup and ring mark
Cup and ring mark
Cup and ring marks or cup marks are a form of prehistoric art found mainly in Atlantic Europe and Mediterranean Europe although similar forms are also found throughout the world including Mexico, Brazil, Greece, and India, where...
art present on the outcrop.
Place-name meaning
Hunterheugh derives from Old English huntor "hunterHunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
" and hoh "hill-spur".
Rock art
The first phase of the carvings is all on the natural rock surface and these are now very heavily weathered. The motifs incorporate undulations of the surface into their design so that most are connected to each other by artificial grooves or by a natural rock slope which allows water to flow from one design to the next. This phase is believed to be NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
, and probably early Neolithic at that. This is supported by the discovery of what appears to be a broken sandstone axehead 1.2 m from the carved rock outcrop at the base of the topsoil. Such ground and polished axeheads are known from elsewhere in Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
.
Phase 1 of the carvings was broken through when the rock dome was quarried at a later date. New carvings were then made on the surfaces exposed by quarrying. These show no attempt to take undulations and variations in the rock (with one exception), none of the designs are inter-connected, and the shapes are more varied and more crudely executed. This phase is believed to be Early Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
in date and appears to imitate the earlier tradition, but does not share the same sense of positioning.