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Cairn

Cairn, burial cairn

What is recorded here

About fifteen irregular stone cairns cluster on a steep south-facing slope above the Anascaul valley, marked by a few low standing stones and graves uncovered in the same field. The largest stretches 4.5 metres long, its north end guarded by a half-metre upright, while cultivation ridges cut through the stones like old scars. This is not mere field clearance; it is a burial ground where the dead were set among the living land, possibly linked to rock art in the adjacent field.
This site is located on a steep S facing slope overlooking the Anascaul valley. It is comprised of a group of about 15 irregularly-shaped cairns of stone and, according to the landowner, many graves have been uncovered in the same field (Finlay 1973, 27). The largest cairn is 4.5m long N-S, 3.2m wide and .7m high. Its N end is marked by a standing stone, .53m high. Only 1 other cairn incorporates a standing stone but there are 3 to 4 isolated upright stones, no more than .22m high. Both O'Connell (NMI) and the Co. Kerry Field Club (1945, 630) noted a circle of standing stones at the site but, unless the low uprights formed part of it, this is not now evident. It is difficult to interpret this site from a surface inspection alone. It seems unlikely that all the cairns are simply the result of field clearance though some have obviously been added to for this purpose and some do overlie the series of cultivation ridges which traverse the field N-S. The presence of the standing stones and the discovery of graves suggest that this is a burial ground and it is possible that it was associated with the rock art located in the adjacent field to S (KE045-003----). The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 216. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 4 August 2013
Burial cairn, likely dating to the Bronze Age. Its location and multiple cairns suggest a significant communal burial or ritual site, though specific cultural or historical significance remains unclear due to incomplete documentation.

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What survives
Recorded monument

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