Megalithic tomb - wedge tomb

The National Monuments Service's description

On the N-facing slope of a low ridge with rising karst to the S and E, at the SE end of the central Burren plateau and within an extensive multiperiod field system (CL017-180----). This is the most northerly wedge tomb in a group of four wedge tombs (see also CL016-061001-, CL016-061004- and CL016-061003-) and a quarry (CL016-061005-) and was excavated in 2016 as part of a larger project to explore prehistoric society in the west of Ireland (Ó Maoldúin 2017, 6). The wedge tombs are collectively identified as ‘cromlechs’ on the 1840 and 1916 OS 6-inch maps. The group of wedge tombs is described by O’Donovan in 1839 as ‘three cromleachs in the same field, one of which is prostrate’ (Comber 1997, 20). Referred to by Westropp (1898, 357) as the ‘N.E cromlech’ which must once have been a ‘fine example’ with the remaining portion of the roofstone described as a ‘plank’ leaning against the S side of the chamber. Westropp (1898, 357) also describes the fallen N side as having ‘strangely regular natural channels across it’. The structure is included in the ‘Reabachan Group of Dolmens’ (Westropp 1905, 213) and is described as ‘defaced’ with measurements given for the remaining S end of the chamber (L 4.6m; H 1.7m at W; H 2.7m at E; T 0.27m) (Westropp 1907, 464). This site is recorded in the Megalithic Survey as CL. 59 (De Valera and Ó Nualláin 1961, 49-50) and the following details are drawn from there.

A poorly preserved wedge tomb with a SW orientation and with one sidestone remaining at the S end of a ruined chamber (L 4.7m; Wth 1.4m at back; Wth 2m at front; H 1.1m at back; H 1.95m at front). The S sidestone (max. L 4.7m; H 0.5-1.7m; T c. 0.3m) was broken into three parts (2.5m; 1.7m; 0.5m) with evidence for cobble percussion along its upper edge. It was estimated to be over 4 tonnes in weight and distinguishes this site as one of the largest wedge tombs on Roughan hill (Ó Maoldúin 2017, 27). The eroded surface of this stone faced the interior of the chamber and the natural channels identified by Westropp (1898, 357) have been identified as runnels. The sidestone slopes from W to E and is noticeably steeper than the other wedge tombs identified on Roughan hill. The site was found to have been disturbed by badgers during the 2016 excavation, but a substantial amount of cremated and unburnt bone was recovered from the chamber area.

Two stones are located outside the S sidestone to the E. The most easterly of these (L 0.75m; H 0.1m; T 0.15m) is set in place and may be a packing-stone but the most westerly stone (L 0.8m; H 0.45m; T 0.05-0.25m) is loose. Two further displaced stones with similar dimensions (L 1.25m; T 0.2m) lean against the inner face of the S sidestone at the E end and a slab (L 1.45m; H 1.8m; T 0.2m) which also leans against the inner face of the S sidestone at the W end may be all that remains of the roofstone. To the north of this stone, an almost prostrate slab (L 1.7m; Wth 1.3m; T 0.15-0.25m) overlaps a similar slab (L 1.1m; Wth 1.1m; T 0.2-0.3m) and both have straight smooth edges at the S and may be the remains of the N end of the chamber. At NW there is another slab (L 2.2m; Wth 1.5m; T 0.15m) which may be displaced from the N end of the chamber. To the E of this stone there is a stone (L 1m; H 0.9m; T 0.1-0.2m) which is set in place and leans to the E. At the S end of the low ‘indefinite remains of a mound’ described by De Valera and Ó’Nualláin (1961, 49), there are two displaced stones which may once have been a single slab (L 2.15m; Wth 0.6m; T 0.15-0.25m). The low mound was exposed during the 2016 excavation and comprised a spread of slabs and loose stones which were too insubstantial to be considered a cairn but appeared to form paved areas to the front and rear of the tomb (Ó Maoldúin 2017, 34).

This wedge tomb is part of the Roughan hill group which falls within the four townlands of Parknabinnia, Leana, Caherfadda and Commons North and have been acknowledged as the densest concentration of wedge tombs in Ireland (Jones et al. 2015, 5). Excavations carried out at three wedge tombs in the area, CL017-180002- (Ó Maoldúin 2015), CL016-061002- (Ó Maoldúin 2017) and CL017-009---- (Ó Maoldúin 2022) have confirmed their date of construction as Chalcolithic to Early Bronze Age (Ó Maoldúin pers. comm.). This wedge tomb is located c. 96m to the SSE of Jones’ (2011, 38) Farm RH2 (enclosures CL016-173001- and CL016-173----) and c. 276m to the SE of Jones’ (2011, 39) Farm RH5 (three conjoined enclosures CL016-174----, CL016-177---- and CL016-165----). These farms are two of four (RH1, 2, 5 & 7) within 200m of each other and are Chalcolithic/Early Bronze Age habitation enclosures set within contemporary field systems defined by mound walls (Jones and Walsh 1996; Jones et. al. 2011; Jones et al. 2015).

The following item has been uploaded:
CL016-061002-_01.pdf Details from Ruaidhrí de Valera and Seán Ó Nualláin, Survey of the Megalithic Tombs of Ireland. Volume I. County Clare. (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1961)

Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Lynda McCormack

Date of upload: 27 July 2022

References

Ó Maoldúin, R. 2022 Preliminary report on the excavation of wedge tomb CL017-009----, Parknabinnia, Co. Clare. Licence 17E0216. Unpublished report, National Monuments Service, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Ó Maoldúin, R. 2017 Preliminary report on the excavation of wedge tomb CL016-061002-, Parknabinnia, Co. Clare. Licence 16E0129. Unpublished report, National Monuments Service, Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

Ó Maoldúin, R. 2015 Preliminary report on the excavation of wedge tomb CL017-180002-, Parknabinnia, Co. Clare. Licence 15E0053. Unpublished report, National Monuments Service, Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

Jones, C., McVeigh, T. and Ó Maoldúin, R. 2015 Monuments, landscape and identity in Chalcolithic Ireland. In K. Springs (ed.), Landscape and identity – archaeology and human geography. British Archaeological Reports, International Series 2709, 3-25. Oxford: Archaeopress.

Jones, C., Carey, O. and Hennigar, C. 2011 Domestic production and the political economy in prehistory: evidence from the Burren, Co. Clare. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 111C, 33-58.

Jones, C. and Walsh, P. 1996 Recent discoveries on Roughan Hill, County Clare. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 126, 86-107.

Westropp, T.J. 1898 Prehistoric remains in the Burren, County Clare (Carran and Kilcorney). The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 28, 352-66.

Comber, M. (ed.) 1997 The antiquities of County Clare: John O’Donovan and Eugene Curry: Ordnance Survey Letters 1839. Clasp Press. Ennis.

Westropp, T. J. 1905 Prehistoric remains (Forts and Dolmens) along the borders of Burren, in the county of Clare. Part 1 – The Eastern Border. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, vol. 35, 205-29.

de Valera, R. and Ó Nualláin, S. 1961 Survey of the megalithic tombs of Ireland, vol. 1: County Clare. Dublin. Stationery Office.

Westropp, T.J. 1907 The cists, dolmens, and pillars of the western half of the county of Clare. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 26C, 447-72.