What is recorded here

Half a metre of grey stone rises above the surrounding graves in Ardnagrena, its western face marked by a Latin cross whose arms sit unnaturally low. The southern face holds a faint human face, small enough to fit inside a cupped palm, while a wedge cuts across the top like a forgotten seal. The slab stands taller than every other marker in the burial ground, suggesting the person beneath mattered more or lived longer than the others.

Rectangular upright stone (H 0.42m; 0.2m x 0.15m) in NW quadrant of burial ground (CO150-020---); long axis N-S; taller than surrounding grave markers. Latin cross (H 0.22m; Wth 0.16m) incised on W face; arms closer to base than to top. Carving of possible human face (Wth 0.08m; H 0.07m) in false relief on S face. Wedge-shaped incised carved on top of stone (L 0.12; Wth 0.06-0.08m). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 1: West Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1992). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

Probably dates to the early medieval period, associated with Christian burial practices. The Latin cross suggests a funerary or commemorative function, possibly marking a Christian grave or site of religious significance.

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