Barrow - bowl-barrow

The National Monuments Service's description

In undulating pasture, just off the summit of a N-S ridge which affords panoramic views. Part of a small barrow cemetery consisting of another bowl-barrow (SL033-039002-) with an adjacent ring-barrow (SL033-039003-) c. 30m to N. This bowl-barrow consists of a prominent conical grass-covered mound (diam. 24.5m x 23.5m; H 6.1m). A resistivity survey identified an extensive fosse enclosing the site (Mount 1995a, 81). Subsequent excavation in 1994 and 1995 (Mount 1996, 78-9) confirmed the presence of the fosse (Wth 6.7m; D 2.1m) and also revealed an external bank (Wth 2.4m) and a large displaced limestone boulder, probably a kerbstone. Preserved seeds from the lower fill of the fosse were radiocarbon dated to 3930-3520 cal. BC, placing the construction of the barrow in the earlier part of the Neolithic period (Mount 1998, 18).

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo' compiled by Ursula Egan, Elizabeth Byrne, Mary Sleeman with Sheila Ronan and Connie Murphy (Dublin Stationery Office, 2005).

Date of upload: 18 January 2008

References

Mount, C. 1998 Ritual landscape and continuity in prehistoric County Sligo. Archaeology Ireland 12 (3), 18-21.