Cairnholy 1 - rear compartment of the chamber.
As there is no access to this compartment from the adjoining compartment, this is thought to have started off as the original stone structure at the site (the protomegalith) and subsequently extended into a fully-developed Clyde cairn.
A protomegalith is a rectangular, largely above-ground and largely-symmetrical burial structure with no architectural feature suggesting any one particular orientation. There was probably no associated cairn.
The next stage would be the addition of the two stones to the E (ie top left of the photo) as portal stones. These, the hypothesis goes, have no architectural or structural purpose (eg they do not support a capstone) but merely serve to mark the E end as ritually important.
Subsequent developments are: (1) creation of another compartment by extending the E portal stones; (2) the cairn; (3) the addition of a more complex entrance and facade.
A similar development from a protomegalith to a fully developed Clyde cairn has been put forward for Cairnholy 2
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Posted by greywether
12th October 2004ce
Edited 12th October 2004ce |
NB: Unless otherwise stated, this image is protected under the copyright of the original poster and may not be re-used without permission.
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