Help
- About the data
- More details by county
- Panel names and numbers
- Management
- Media
- IIIF resources
- Field Definitions & Explanatory Notes
About the Data
The ERA database incorporates data from several sources, the majority of records being created by trained volunteers participating in regional projects. Additional records (e.g. new discoveries) may also have been added by individual contributors.
The database also incorporates material including text, drawings, and photographs from historical datasets. These are acknowledged as far as possible.
All ERA records have been validated for inclusion either by the Project Officers (for organised projects) or, in the case of individual contributions, by a designated Database Administrator (e.g. local HER Officer). This does not mean that all the panels recorded have been unequivocally confirmed to be prehistoric rock art; text notes in individual records should reflect an informed opinion.
More Details by County
Counties listed here have been the subject of a major recording project and are included on ERA. Note: where the full extent of the county has not been surveyed this is indicated. Other areas of England may have rock art recorded but are not represented on ERA.
- County Durham
- Northumberland
- Tyne & Wear
- West Yorkshire (Rombalds Moor area only)
County Durham
The baseline records for rock art in County Durham were all created by the NADRAP (Northumberland and Durham Rock Art Project) volunteers between 2004 and 2008.
Northumberland
For rock art in Northumberland, the ERA database provides access to baseline data and visual media collected by the Northumberland and Durham Rock Art Project (NADRAP) volunteers between 2004 and 2008, and also to records and images from the Beckensall Archive, collected by Stan Beckensall and Aron Mazel. A significant period may have elapsed between the collection of these two sets of data, and records of the same panel may differ due to erosion or cover with vegetation; some may have been destroyed or lost. The effects of weathering, of human and animal impacts and especially the presence of biological growths such as lichen, moss or turf may have resulted in motifs becoming obscured or, in some cases, revealed. Changes in lighting may also affect what is visible. Photogrammetry models now provide the most accurate record of the panel, but some details may have been lost over time; historical drawings therefore provide a valuable snapshot. The availability of two records of different dates provides a unique opportunity to observe how panels may have changed over time.
Tyne & Wear
See Northumberland.
West Yorkshire (Rombalds Moor area only)
A specific area of West Yorkshire around Rombalds Moor was the subject of a volunteer survey undertaken between 2010 and 2013 during the Carved Stone Investigations: Rombalds Moor (CSIRM) Project. The CSIRM survey was based largely on previous work carried out by the Ilkley Archaeology Group (IAG), and the database includes photographs from the IAG archive which were digitised during the project. In some cases over 30 years have elapsed since the original records were created so that interesting comparisons can be made regarding the effects of weathering and vegetation.
Panel names and numbers
Northumberland and Durham
For panels in Northumberland and Durham the naming convention established by Beckensall was followed as much as possible. Users should take care with Panel Name searches as the general name for the location may not occur at the beginning of the Panel Name, eg panels at Lordenshaw may be listed as North Lordenshaw or East Lordenshaw, etc. Newly discovered panels were given the supplement N0n where n is a sequential number, eg Chirnells Moor N01 and Chirnalls Moor N02.
For County Durham records, Beckensall Archive data was unavailable, and panels were named after the area named on the Ordnance Survey map, and in the order in which they were recorded e.g. Barningham Moor 3, The Rigg 2.
West Yorkshire (Rombalds Moor)
The panel names for this area are standardised according to the following conventions:
- Panels are named after the area in which they are located, as labelled on Ordnance Survey maps, e.g. Green Crag Slack, Pancake Ridge, Rivock, with numbering working from west to east. For example, Rivock 01 is the furthest west in that area and Rivock 02 the next to the east, irrespective of the distance north or south.
- Although this system works well in most areas, the boundaries between some names on the map are unclear, eg around the Green Crag and Green Crag Slack areas on Ilkley Moor. In this case a best guess was made. When new discoveries were made after project work had been completed, supplemental letters such as Glovershaw Farm 01a, 01b etc. were used.
- On a few occasions (e.g. Lanshaw Delves 06) the naming convention was not followed as this would have required re-naming a whole series of carvings including maps and imagery.
- To aid identification on Location Maps, each panel was given a shorthand reference, e.g. LP01-LP31 for Low Plain 01 – 31. These IDs have been used within Location Notes and Panel Notes in the database records.
- Panels with commonly used names are named in accordance with the OS maps. In most cases (e.g. Pancake Stone, Swastika Stone) the name in common use appears on the maps, however some of the most well-known panels such as The Haystack and Planets Rock are not named on OS maps and are therefore named after the area in which they are located. For example, Planets Rock is Pancake Ridge 01 and The Haystack is Pancake Ridge 05. The common names were also added to the database records in the 'Other names' field.
Management
The condition of rock art, and the nature of threats to its survival, can change rapidly with alterations to either the local environment, the use of the land, or the accessibility of the panel. NADRAP assessments were made during the period 2005 - 2008; CSIRM assessments were made between 2010 and 2013. The Beckensall Archive provides a historic snapshot of the condition of panels in Northumberland over an extended period and is therefore included to provide a comparison, although the data is not directly comparable with that collected by the NADRAP Project.
For each panel, a number of factors were assessed to determine both the current condition and potential risks to the panel. The factors were grouped into three categories as shown:
| CONDITION ASSESSMENT | RISK ASSESSMENT |
|---|---|
| Chemical and physical erosion | Chemical and physical threats |
| Biological coverage | Biological threats |
| Human and animal impacts | Human and animal threats |
The table shows the various different factors assessed within each category.
| CONDITION ASSESSMENT | RISK ASSESSMENT |
|---|---|
| Chemical and physical erosion | Chemical and physical threats |
| Differential erosion (channels/hollows) | Water flow |
| Cratering/pitting | Water pooling |
| Planar erosion (scaling/flaking) | Prevailing weather |
| Burnt areas | |
| Biological coverage | Biological threats |
| Lichen (crustose) | Lichen (crustose) |
| Lichen (foliose) | Lichen (foliose) |
| Moss | Moss |
| Algae | Algae |
| Grass/turf patches | Tree canopy |
| Other vegetation | Roots |
| Detritus (leaves/needles) | |
| Other vegetation | |
| Human and animal impacts | Human and animal threats |
| Droppings (game/stock) | Stock animals |
| Wear (rubbing/trampling) | Game animals |
| Chips or scratches | Land management |
| Graffiti (painted) | People |
| Graffiti (carved) | Other threat |
| Quarrying | |
| Plough/flail marks | |
| Other condition |
Panels were assigned a score for each factor as follows:
| Extent of cover/erosion/damage | None | <1/3 | 1/3 – 2/3 | > 2/3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock surface score | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Rock art score | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Severity of cover/erosion/damage | None | Slight | Moderate | Severe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
The highest score for each sub-group within each respective Condition and Risk group was used to indicate the current condition or the potential threat to the panel as follows:
| Highest score | Condition | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Poor | Severe |
| 2 | Moderate | Moderate |
| 1 | Good | Slight |
| 0 | Very good | None |
Media
The Media tab on the panel record page provides access to a variety of media depicting the panel, including photographs, drawings and three-dimensional models:
Conventional photographs
Images capture a range of perspectives, including the panel itself with scale bars to indicate the size, close-ups of particular motifs or areas of damage, the wider setting of the panel, and views from the location.
Panoramas
Panorama shots are available for some of the panels.
Photogrammetry Images
Photogrammetry images provide the raw data for the creation of photogrammetry models.
Photogrammetry models
These models provide a means to view and manipulate the rock surface in three dimensions. You will need to download the zipped folders and will also need appropriate viewing software.
Drawings
For Beckensall Archive records (i.e. those in Northumberland), black and white drawings of the panels are available. These are the work of Stan Beckensall, and they are based on wax rubbings made by Stan, supported by repeated observations of each panel. The drawings were made over an extended period and may not reflect the current state of the panels, which may have become more or less exposed, and may have suffered from erosion. It is also worth remembering that these are 2D representations of 3D panels, so allow for this when making comparison with photographs.
Sketches
Sketches are included for most of the panels. These were created by the volunteers in the field to provide a rough plan, to scale, of the outline of the panel, with the location of significant features, both carved and natural. They are not intended to be a highly accurate representation.
IIIF Resources
Most images in this collection are IIIF-compatible and can be accessed via the Media tab on the panel record page. What is IIIF?
Individual images can be opened in a IIIF viewer by clicking on an image and following the 'View in Mirador' link in the popup. The URL of the IIIF manifest for each image can be copied by clicking on the clipboard icon in the popup.
A IIIF workspace containing all IIIF-compatible images belonging to a panel can be opened by following the 'IIIF workspace containing all IIIF-compatible images' link towards the top of the Media tab.
IIIF workspaces can also be opened per media type. Each media type containing IIIF-compatible images has a link to a IIIF workspace alongside the media type heading.
Field Definitions & Explanatory Notes
The following notes relate to specific database fields and are accessible from the Query page.
- General
- Location/Context
- Panel Details
- References/Identifiers
Panel type
Indicates the broad panel classification. Portable rocks include anything that could be carried a reasonable distance by 1 or 2 people.
Current location
Indicates the current location of the panel.
- At original location – indicates that the panel to be in its original archaeological context. This includes all panels found in prehistoric structures such as monuments and burial cairns.
- Moved from original location – indicates that the panel has been reused in structure (e.g. a building, field wall, iron age hill fort, gatepost), relocated but is not included in any obvious structure (for example moved to the edge of a cleared field, or to a secure location such as a garden), or placed in a private collection or museum.
- Documented as lost – indicates that the panel is known to be missing.
- Documented as destroyed – indicates that the panel is known to have been destroyed (e.g. by quarrying).
- No documented location – indicates that previous records of the panel do not include an exact location, e.g. a grid reference.
- Not located in the field – indicates that the panel cannot be located using location information from previous records, despite an extensive search.
Nature of Access
Indicates the nature of access to the panel by the public.
Media Type
The types of media i.e. photographs, photogrammetry models available for a panel.
County
County in which panel was originally found.
District
Parish in which panel was originally found, correct at Aug 1 2008.
Parish
Parish in which panel was originally found, correct at Aug 1 2008.
Altitude
Height in metres above ordnance datum [m OD] (average sea level taken from the Ordnance Survey datum point at Newlyn, Cornwall).
Land use
This may be very different to that in the prehistoric period, and may indicate how accessible the panel is. A great deal of rock art is found on open moorland, rough grassland or open pasture with sheep or cattle.
Landscape situation
Indicates the topographical or ‘landscape’ situation of the panel (analysis of landscape position suggests that particular locations may have been favoured by carvers of rock art panels).
Underlying geology
The rock type or geological classification of the underlying bedrock. (This may be different from the geology of the panel). Analysis of distribution maps suggests a strong relationship between solid geology and rock art. In England the majority of rock art clusters are located in sedimentary (sandstone) areas.
- Sedimentary (e.g. sandstone) - includes sandstone (e.g. millstone grit), mudstones, limestone and conglomerates
- Igneous (e.g. granite) - includes granite, tuff
- Metamorphic (e.g. shale, schist, slate) - includes shale, schist, slate
Water present within (m)
It is possible that there is a relationship between the location of rock art sites and water. Many sites appear to relate to springs or head water (although these may have shifted through time), or to fringe lakes, ponds and rivers.
Largest Dimension
The distance, in meters of the panels largest dimension (length, width or height).
Orientation of longest axis
Orientation of the longest axis.
Panel slope
Indicates the slope in degrees of the carved surface of the rock relative to the horizontal (not the slope of the ground). This is relevant to aspects such as water run off, exposure and visibility.
Direction of slope
Indicates the orientation of the inclined surface, from top to bottom e.g. West-East
Panel geology
The geological classification of the panel. (This may be different from the geology of the underlying bedrock if the panel is an erratic boulder). Analysis of distribution maps suggests a strong relationship between solid geology and rock art. In England the majority of rock art clusters are located in sedimentary (sandstone) areas.
- Sedimentary - includes sandstone (e.g. millstone grit), mudstones, limestone and conglomerates
- Igneous - includes granite, tuff, gabbro
- Metamorphic - includes shale, schist, slate
Motifs
The exact nature of the motifs identified may differ with separate recording projects. The effects of weathering, of human and animal impacts and especially the presence of biological growths such as lichen, moss or turf may have resulted in motifs becoming obscured or, in some cases, revealed. Changes in lighting may also affect what is visible. Photogrammetry models now provide the most accurate record of the panel, but some details may have been lost over time; historical drawings therefore provide a valuable snapshot.
Fissures present?
Indicates the presence of fissures.
Direction of fissures
Indicates the direction of fissures e.g. West-East
Bedding planes visible?
Indicates the presence of bedding planes.
NMR reference
The National Monuments Record brings together a range of unique archive and information resources and services, including over 12 million photographs, plans, drawings and reports.Since 1 April 1999, the NMR has been designated as the public archive of English Heritage and is responsible for curatorial and dissemination services associated with heritage datasets and archives corporately. The archives repository and main customer services activities are based in the National Monuments Record Centre (NMRC) in Swindon, Wiltshire.
SAM reference
The Scheduled Ancient Monuments Reference, assigned by English Heritage. 'Scheduling' is shorthand for the process through which nationally important sites and monuments are given legal protection by being placed on a list, or 'schedule'. English Heritage takes the lead in identifying sites in England which should be placed on the schedule by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. A schedule has been kept since 1882 of monuments whose preservation is given priority over other land uses. The current legislation, the AncientMonuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979, supports a formal system of Scheduled Monument Consent for any work to a designated monument. Scheduling is the only legal protection specifically for archaeological sites.
Local SMR/HER reference
Sites and Monuments or Histroic Environment Records are maintained locally by County Councils or National Park Authorities.
