Linkardstown burial

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a natural ridge overlooking the Liffey Valley, inside the Chapelizod gate at Phoenix Park. Known as 'Cnoc-Maraidhe' or 'Hill of the Mariners'. In the early 19th-century a mound stood on the site. Excavations exposed the central cist containing two crouched skeletons accompanied by a shell necklace, flint knife and bone toggle. Four small cists were also discovered, containing cremated bones and food vessels, two of which were bowls (Wood-Martin 1895, 281, Fig.74; Waddell 1970, 115; Waddell 1990, 81). All that survives today of this cemetery mound is the central megalithic cist comprising a flat slab lying on two boulders set into concrete. There are holes in the face of the stones. Ryan (1981, 142) and Brindley and Lanting (1989-90) classify this monument as a Linkardstown-type burial of Late Neolithic date.

Compiled by: Geraldine Stout

Upload date: 28 September 2011

References

Ryan, M. 1981 Poulawack, Co. Clare: the affinities of the central burial structure. In D. Ó Corráin (ed.), Irish antiquity: essays and studies presented to M.J. O'Kelly, 134-46. Cork. Tower Books.

Brindley, A. and Lanting, J.N. 1989-90 Radiocarbon dates for Neolithic single burials. Journal of Irish Archaeology 5, 1-7.

Waddell, J. 1990 The Bronze Age burials of Ireland. Galway University Press.

Waddell, J. 1970 Irish Bronze Age cists, a survey. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 100, 91-139.

Wood-Martin, W. G. 1895 Pagan Ireland; an archaeological sketch: A handbook of Irish pre-Christain antiquities. London and New York, Longmans, Green and Co.