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The Challenges of Outdoor Heritage

Sites

Kate Sharpekate.sharpe@ncl.ac.uk

Debbie Maxwelldeborah.maxwell@ncl.ac.uk

ICCHS

Rock Art Mobile Project

Background What is rock art? Introducing RAMP Rock art as heritage Challenges – landscape

and technical Why mobile phones? Our approach Script exercise

What is rock art?

‘Any artificially created mark that is cut, engraved, incised,

gouged, ground or pecked into, or applied with paint,

wax or other substances onto, the surface of rock

(English Heritage Rock Art Pilot Project, 2000)

Rock art in Britain & Ireland…

When? 6000 - 3500 years ago (Neolithic – Early

Bronze Age) What?

Abstract motifs – ‘cup and ring’ marks Where?

Around 6000 examples in on boulders and outcrops in the landscape ‘Hotspots’, e.g. Northumberland sandstone hills, North Yorkshire Moors, Galloway coast, Donegal…

How? By ‘pecking’ using another stone

Why? Million dollar question!

‘Landscape’

Motifs

The vast majority of British rock art

is

abstract…

Rock Art Mobile Project

10 years ago: books,

gazetteers local journals.

Difficult to share, or compare.

2003: Beckensall Archive

website launched following

Newcastle University project to

digitize the archive

2008: England’s Rock Art (ERA)

website launched following

English Heritage project in

Northumberland & Durham

2010: RAMP Project begins…

Rock art as heritage

Not actively managed for visitors (may be covered in turf, animal droppings, lichen)

No visitor centres or maintained footpaths

Few have ‘interpretation’ panels, or even signposts

Most on private land but with ‘Open Access’

Some are Scheduled Monuments (statutory protection)

Don’t really want to encourage many more visitors!

Landscape challenges

Can be difficult to find

Can be difficult to see

Terrain often difficult/remote

Sites exposed to weather

Vegetation varies (often bracken/heather)

Restrictions during nesting season (grouse)

I’ve found it!

Well they were here in July!

Are we there yet?

I thought there was supposed to be a view from this one

Technical Challenges

So why mobile phones?

Getting People Involved

Our approach

Use of social media

Workshops

Outcomes and next steps

Script exercise

Our Approach

Social Media

@RockArtMobile

rockartmobile.wordpress.com

What did we discover?

‘Findability’

Speculation

Sense of place & self

What does this mean for RAMP?

• Clear Navigation

• Dialogue-centred material,

presenting space to share &

interpret

• Use of reflective & creative

content across modalities

So?

Questions?

Want to Get Involved?

Design Workshops, Rothbury

Friday 4th & Saturday 5th March

You will be asked to give your views on some design and content ideas which we have been developing, based on all the data from earlier workshops No technical knowledge or archaeological experience is needed.

RAMP

Debbie Maxwell & Kate Sharpe

kate.sharpe@ncl.ac.uk

deborah.maxwell@ncl.ac.uk

0191 222 5566

rockartmobile.wordpress.com

@RockArtMobile