The Modern Antiquarian. Stone Circles, Ancient Sites, Neolithic Monuments, Ancient Monuments, Prehistoric Sites, Megalithic MysteriesThe Modern Antiquarian

Whitstone

Cairn(s)

Fieldnotes

Megalithic tomb (possible)
Taken from the Archaeological Inventory of North Tipp

Situated on level poorly drained pasture. A low, elongated stony ridge, at least partly natural in origin, serves as a dump for field clearance debris. It measures 49m long (E-W) and is 10m wide. An orthostat, 1.5m high, stands about 10m frothe village of Ardcroney. A burial chamber is exposed in a partly demolished round cairn now some 20m in diameter. The chamber, uncovered during bulldozing operations in 1977, was subsequently excavated (Wallace 1977, 3-20). The cairn, originally about 33m in diameter, may have been enclosed by an earthen bank and ditch. The chamber, polygonal in plan and orientated N-S, is centrally placed in the cairn. It is 1.75m long, 1.4m wide and 0.7m high. An inward-leaning slab forms each of its sides, two upright stones form each end, and roofing is by means of a single large slab. The skeletons of two males and a decorated pottery vessel were found on the paved floor of the chamber. A bone from one of the skeletons yielded a radiocarbon determination corresponding to a calendar date of c. 3500 BC (Brindley, Lanting and Mook 1983, 1-9)
bawn79 Posted by bawn79
7th November 2005ce
Edited 11th January 2006ce

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