On Friday 3 and Saturday 4 June Liverpool is hosting the British Rock Art Group’s annual conference – bringing together researchers from around the world to share their research and ideas on prehistoric and historic rock art.
On Friday 3 June the event will be held at the Museum of Liverpool and Calderstones Park – exploring the history of rock art in the Mersey area and visiting the Calderstones themselves with specialists Ron Cowell and George Nash.
The Calderstones are the remains of a late Neolithic chambered tomb, dating to around 5000 years ago. This tomb would have been built from these and other stones, and covered in soil. A central chamber between the stones would have been used for the burial of bones.
The stones have been moved and rearranged into a stone circle, so their original context and arrangement is now lost. The markings on them tell us something about the people at the time. They are decorated with numerous inscribed patterns including spirals, concentric circles, depressions known as ‘cupmarks’ and feet. The spiral patterns are especially interesting as this type of pattern is found in Ireland and north Wales, suggesting links around the Irish Sea.
The Calderstones will form part of a major Heritage Lottery Funded project by the Reader Organsation, and will be redisplayed in due course.
The British Rock Art Group conference is being hosted by the University of Liverpool and the Museum of Liverpool. The event is open to everyone, at a fee of £15 for the two days, just complete an online booking form for the event.