Go walking on the moors above Bingley and you could come across some odd-looking stones.

Strange dimples or cup-and-ring marks are embedded in many of the rocks, a lasting memorial of art from thousands of years ago we can still see today.

Few know what they actually mean or represent but a new archaeology project could reveal some truths about these mysterious designs which currently baffle academics.

Archaeologists hope to unearth prehistoric rock art and burial cairns dating from 2,500 BC on Stanbury Hill, on the edge of Bingley Moor, believed to hold a prehistoric settlement dating from the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age.

Prehistoric artists could have used the stones as a frontier to mark what they believed to be the border between the realm of the living and their ancestor’s spirits.

Other theories suggest cup-and-ring art was used to mark territorial borders or even route finders.

Members of the Bingley and District Local History Society are to team with archaeologists from the University of Bradford to embark on the project at the site.

With the aid of a £49,400 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) the project aims to engage members of the public in their past and gain archaeological investigation skills as they participate in the project.

The team will investigate 18 examples of prehistoric rock art from the Early Bronze Age, at least six possible Bronze Age “burial cairns”, several lines of prehistoric walling and the find-spots for Late Neolithic flint tools.

“Stanbury Hill is a relatively undisturbed prehistoric moorland site,” said project director Dr Keith Boughey.

“As such, it provides a unique opportunity for both archaeologists and the local community to learn more about their Bronze Age past, especially the rock art, as well as providing volunteers with the experience and skills of an archaeological dig at first hand, supervised by a Department of Archaeology with a first-class record.”

The cultural significance of prehistoric rock art has only recently started to be understood and this project aims to try and understand the site, what it was used for and what sort of landscape it existed in.

One theory is rock art represents a territorial marker between land inhabited by people and the wild beyond.

The rock art panels and cairns are believed to represent a sacred space which protects the tamed and domestic from the untamed and wild – or the realm of the living from that of the ancestors.

Dr Boughey and his colleagues have so far identified 690 panels or rock art, including many new to the archaeological record.

New sites are continually being identified.

“The rock art we are talking about here is known as prehistoric rock art or cup and rings,” said Dr Boughey.

“We don’t get things like men hunting animals on the rock art here but the fact is research does suggest this rock art had a long life.

“So although it’s a long time ago it doesn’t mean it lasted a few days. Evidence suggests it could have had a currency for a thousand years or so and over that time changed its meaning.”

One of the reasons funding was granted to the project was its involvement with members of the public.

Forensic archaeologist John McIlwaine, of the University of Bradford, said the most exciting part of the project was the public would get ownership of the work.

“When you are exposing things for the first time you are seeing something nobody has seen for thousands of years, so it’s like somebody handing you something across time.

“It’s going somewhere nobody has ever been before. You have the potential to go and do things that can change your understanding of the world, and it’s not very often you can do that.

“That’s why it’s a great opportunity for people who have never done anything like this before.”

He said work carried out at the site could end up being published, forming a valued contribution to the world of archaeology.

“And the thing is it will be the people who do the work who decides where it goes and who gets it,” he said.

Members of the history society and volunteers from the public will be supervised by the team from the University of Bradford as they carry out topographic, photographic and geophysical surveys, excavate at least one of the rock art panels, one of the possible cairns and other features, help with post-excavation recording and analysis and disseminate results through exhibitions, talks and publications.

Local societies and schools have also been keen to get involved in the site.

Fiona Spiers, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund for Yorkshire and Humber, said: “This is a fantastic project which will explore the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age landscape of Bingley.

“It will enable members of the local community to learn new skills and enhance their knowledge and sense of their local heritage.”

The official launch of the project will be at a public meeting at the Eldwick Village Memorial Hall on Saturday, September 20 from 10am until 12 noon.

Those interested will need to attend the event to register.

Work is due to begin in late summer and hopefully be completed by the end of 2009. Throughout the year there will be site visits, an open day at the Department of Archaeological Sciences at the University of Bradford, talks to local groups and a travelling public exhibition.

For more information about the project go to the Bingley and District Local History Society website at bingleyhistory.co.uk or contact Dr Boughey on (01274) 591736.

Alternatively e-mail him on keith_boughey@hotmail.com.

e-mail: james.rush @telegraphandargus.co.uk