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 Head To Head The Modern Antiquarian Hill of Tara Forum | Start a topic | Search |
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| Most of the features to the north of Rath na Rí are barrows. The Rath of the Synod is a multi-ditched barrow with a second barrow built into the outer ring. There are two very low barrows on the big open area next to the Banquetting Hall. Rath Maeve is also a very big barrow, too. Inside Rath na Rí the Kings House (where the Stone of Destiny stands) was thought to be a barrow for a long time, but fairly recent geo-fiz revealed a possible chamber inside, so it could be another passage tomb. There are two barrows/smaller tombs built into the outer bank of this too. Once upon a time there used to be a mound about 50m to the west of The Mound of the Hostages, but this was flattened ages ago. It was known as the Mound of the Cow and you can still see the bump in the banks of Rath na Rí where it was constructed around it. There are two other such bulges in the enclosure banks to the south of there that may also have been where other mounds/passage tombs were. The early maps from the Annals also show two stone circles to the south of the enclosure and a tomb where the churchyard is now. The latter was called the Tomb of the Dwarf or something and it was said that it grew to accomodate anyone that lay within it. No one is completely sure of the exact timeline for the sites, but it is generally accepted that the Mound of the Hostages and the now lost Mound of the Cow were probably the ealiest within the enclosure area - the enclosure itself is later, because it goes around them. The earliest monument on the hill is now invisible and was only discovered through geo-fiz a few years ago. This is a 100m diameter rock cut ditch which would have had an enormous timber henge of the same diameter inside it. Reply | with quote |  8th November 2006ce 17:02 In reply to: Re: Lift to Tara on the 31st (StewardsofGondor) |
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