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<< News >> Unique Rock Art found after Fylingdales Fire

Submitted by Andy B on Tuesday, 21 December 2004  Page Views: 15333

Rock ArtCountry: England County: Yorkshire (North) Type: Rock Art

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Archaeologists are pondering one of the most intriguing archaeological discoveries for some years after a fire revealed a unique carved stone thought to be 4,000 years old. The find came to light after a blaze in 2003 at Fylingdales near Whitby consumed two and a half square kilometres of heather moorland - before being brought under control by hundreds of fire fighters and a water-dumping helicopter.

However, in the fire’s aftermath archaeologists were astonished to find a vast array of archaeological remains – uncovered by the intensity of the blaze, which burnt away much of the peat.

"The fire had a devastating impact, but it also revealed an astonishing archaeological landscape," said Neil Redfern, English Heritage Inspector of Ancient Monuments.

"When we stepped over the scorched terrain and reviewed aerial photographs, we were confronted by a vast number of features we had no idea existed before. To find such well preserved signs of settlement and human activity over such a long period in such a small area is amazing."

More, with pictures: 24 Hour Museum

Note: Should this unique stone be reburied, left to the ravages of the moorland? Vote now in our new poll.

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Prehistoric Rock Art in the Northern Dales

Prehistoric Rock Art in the Northern Dales

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"Unique Rock Art found after Fylingdales Fire" | Login/Create an Account | 15 News and Comments
  
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Re: Unique Rock Art found after Fylingdales Fire - Times letter by Anonymous on Monday, 12 December 2005
i think this page is good for school work and other reasons im on the subject of rocks and it is hard i have to find out were 6 rocks are found in ,chalk,sandstone,slate,basalt,granite and marble if you can help me i will be thankfull
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Unique Rock Art found after Fylingdales Fire - Times letter by Anonymous on Friday, 31 December 2004
I and a few friends discovered a ancient engraved rock map near here two years ago, from a area that as produced neolithic/bronze age flints, perhaps the important thing about this it checks out with local geographical and river features site, it is now registered with national institutions in london relating to science and history of maps.arthur, burbage, leicestershire
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    Re: Unique Rock Art found after Fylingdales Fire - Times letter by Andy B on Friday, 31 December 2004
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    Arthur,
    Why don't you write us a proper article instead of loads of comments?
    Cheers,
    Andy
    [ Reply to This ]
      Re: Unique Rock Art found after Fylingdales Fire - Times letter by Anonymous on Friday, 31 December 2004
      I know this would be better andy, but I am trying to get funding for a another book relating to archaeoastronomy in my area, I must be mad not being an astronomer, but perhaps having an open mind it may be nearer the thinking of the people who originated these artefacts?.arthur
      [ Reply to This ]

Re: Unique Rock Art found after Fylingdales Fire - Times letter by PaulM on Tuesday, 28 December 2004
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Letter published in The Times on 28 December 2004

Fylingdales stone
From Mr Michael Masterson

Sir, The beautiful and unique carving found at Fylingdales (report, December 21) should not be hidden away after being seen and interpreted only by a few fortunate archaeologists. If it is buried on site as proposed by Neil Redfern of English Heritage, even if recorded with satellite mapping techniques, it may, being fairly small and valuable, be lost or stolen.

Members of English Heritage and the public (who, after all, pay for the archaeology) ought to be able to see something so precious.

[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Unique Rock Art found after Fylingdales Fire - Times letter by Anonymous on Friday, 04 February 2005
    To right, I think this is a scam myself and it has already been sold to an American Collector. Neil Redfern seems to be a bit of a self-indulgent idiot hippy to me saying it would be no more accessible to the public in a museum than where it is! WFT! I could walk to the museum! If I want to see it now I need to walk 15 miles, trek across muddy bog tracks, know where it is and have a spade to dig it up! WTF is this guy on?? I think it needs extracting at once, by foul means if needed, and hand it over to the Museum service. Or maybe if the coordinates were made public it would force them to dig it up. I can see when the time comes it will have been spirited away.
    [ Reply to This ]

Re: Unique Rock Art found after Fylingdales Fire by Petercastle on Monday, 27 December 2004
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I think the best place would be the local museum as if it is left it will undoutedly end up on someones mantlepeice like many of the stones that have disapeared from Dartmoor,some of which weighed hundreds of kilos.
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    Re: Unique Rock Art found after Fylingdales Fire by Anonymous on Tuesday, 28 December 2004
    Yes. I don't like to think of it being in a museum, separated from its natural surroundings, but of course if it is just left some beast will take it away. Also, to put a fence round it or post a guard is equally unaqcceptable. I guess the museum is the only safe place in the end.

    Geraldine
    [ Reply to This ]
    Re: Unique Rock Art found after Fylingdales Fire by Anonymous on Monday, 14 February 2005
    Petercastle is right, it should be displayed in a local museum, to take it elseware it would be out of context, and therefore render it meaningless. an example here is a local geographical and river map engraved on a large dressed boulder of local granite, Arthur, Burbage,Leic`s.
    [ Reply to This ]

Re: Unique Rock Art found after Fylingdales Fire by kelpie on Sunday, 26 December 2004
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I have difficulties in believing this is a map. As often happens when some new markings are found there is a rush to interpret them. My feelings are that these are just designs, squiggles, aesthetically pleasing marks on rock - nothing more. Yes, they are important but I cringe at the immediate suggestions of mapping.
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    Re: Unique Rock Art found after Fylingdales Fire by Anonymous on Tuesday, 28 December 2004
    I felt straight away that this was a map. I had seen nothing like it before. I thought it was a map, probably of plots of land, before I read the comment that someone else thought so.
    [ Reply to This ]

Re: Unique Rock Art found after Fylingdales Fire by Andy B on Thursday, 23 December 2004
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I've found that Neil Redfern has some 'previous' when it comes to proposing strange things to do with Rock Art:

http://www.ilkley.org/civicsociety/icivnews.htm

The Dr Little Heritage Group put an application to the Local Heritage Initiative for improving St Margaret's Park and the area around the Panorama Stones. Since the stones are a Schedule Monument, English Heritage became involved. Their representative, Neil Redfern, has suggested moving the stones to the area in front of the Manor House. This move would, however, result in the stones being descheduled.

English Heritage would also like to see replica stones put in St Margaret's Park. Additionally there would be interpretative material about these and other stones on the Moor being made available both at the Manor House and in St Margaret's Park, together with a Heritage Trail linking the Manor House to the Moor.

Initial debate in the Town shows mixed feelings about the proposed move of the stones. These are Ilkley's...

Read the rest of this post...
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    Re: Unique Rock Art found after Fylingdales Fire by andy_h on Thursday, 23 December 2004
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    I think moving the Panorama Stones would be a good idea. they've already been moved from their original location at Panorama Rocks some hundred odd years ago, and have weathered badly over the last few decades. A good sheltered spot by the museum would be great.
    [ Reply to This ]

Re: Unique Rock Art found after Fylingdales Fire by DavidRaven on Wednesday, 22 December 2004
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Another report from the BBC site (that I submitted on the 20th!), with a good pic;-

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/4108897.stm

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Re: Unique Rock Art found after Fylingdales Fire by Andy B on Tuesday, 21 December 2004
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Another report here from The Times
and The Telegraph.

The stone will be reburied in its original site which will be recorded using satellite mapping techniques. "Where else should it go?" said Mr Redfern. "We have recorded its image. Why should it go to, say the British Museum? It was found here, so should remain here."
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