Pit in Croaghonagh

Pit

What is recorded here

Read the whole record

Located on a natural elevation at the NE end of Lough Mourne, immediately SE of a Neolithic cairn (DG086-002001-). Discovered and fully excavated in 2011 during an archaeological excavation at the cairn carried out in advance of the proposed development of a dam at Lough Mourne (Delaney 2013). This consisted of a subcircular pit (1.3m by 1.2m; D 0.43m) with a rounded base. There was evidence that the pit may have had a clay lining. A spread (7.8m by 6.4m; D 0.1m) of burnt material, interpreted as the remains of a bonfire, overlay and was centred on the pit, and a smaller burnt deposit lay immediately to NE. Charcoal fragments were identified as belonging to three species, oak, hazel and a species of the hawthorn/mountain ash family. A sample of alder charcoal sent for radiocarbon analysis retuned a middle Bronze Age date, 1436-1309 BC (UBA 19991) (calibrated to 2 sigma). An assemblage of flint quartz artefacts recovered from the pit and the burnt layer also dated to the Bronze age (Delaney 2013, 18-19). The pit is one of several Bronze Age monuments found in close proximity to the Neolithic cairn (DG086-002001-): An Early Bronze Age wedge tomb (DG086-002004-) was found 30m to W of the pit, a burnt spread (DG 086-002005-), located c. 25m to SE, was also dated to the middle Bronze Age, and a Late Bronze Age fulacht fia (DG086-002007-) was found c. 30m to NW. (Delaney 2013).

From the National Monuments Service (Archaeological Survey of Ireland) record DG086-002006

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.

What do you know about this place?Tap to add a comment or ask a question

Places near here

Photo credits

Maker not stated on source page, en.wikipedia.org
Darrin Antrobus, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
Maker not stated on source page, www.pinterest.com
Kenneth Allen, Geograph · Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
Maker not stated on source page, ph.pinterest.com
Wikimedia Commons contributor shown on the public file page · Public domain
Lisa Gallagher / Donegal Daily, www.donegaldaily.com
Kenneth Allen, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Wedge tomb in CroaghonaghWedge tomb · 43 yd

Explorer Tom Wedge tomb in Croaghonagh was only unearthing in 2011 to make room for a dam, revealing a gallery paved with white lake…

Lough HillMountain / peak · 1019 yd

Explorer Tom Right then, let’s have a look at Lough Hill in County Donegal. I spotted something white on the hill over Lough Mourne…

Wedge tomb in Meencargagh (dooish Ed)Wedge tomb · 1.4 mi

Explorer Tom Wedge tomb in Meencargagh was actually hidden under a thick coniferous forest until someone noticed it back in 1989.…

Meencarrigach National SchoolSchool · 1.5 mi

Explorer Tom Meencarrigach National School is built from such solid stone that I’m pretty sure a local legend says a giant used it…

bridge1.6 mi

Explorer Tom Bridge in Croaghonagh has dressed stone voussoirs so fancy they’re basically wearing a tuxedo to a muddy field party…

Megalithic structure in LoughsallaghMegalithic structure · 1.7 mi

Explorer Tom Megalithic structure in Loughsallagh is a large slab deliberately balanced on rock, with low stones outlining a…

Megalithic tomb in CorraineMegalithic tomb · 2.0 mi

Explorer Tom Megalithic tomb in Corraine is a proper ghost story from Fagan’s notebook, back when he called it 'Grey Rocks'. No…

Old BarracksBarracks · 2.2 mi

Explorer Tom Old Barracks was built to guard Barnesmore Gap from highwaymen and brigands. It’s just fragmentary remains now, but…

Glenmore LodgeOutbuilding, walled garden, dovecote/pigeon house/aviary · 3.5 mi

Explorer Tom Glenmore Lodge is hiding a scandal so big it needs a walled garden and a dovecote to keep it secret. The main house is…

BarnesmoreMountain / peak · 3.9 mi

Explorer Tom Barnesmore has been carrying the wrong name tag. Mountaineering Ireland calls this summit Croaghonagh and says…

Páirc Thaobhóige, Glenfin GAAGAA ground · 4.8 mi

Teach Tábhairne an RileánPub · 5.5 mi

Explorer Tom Teach Tábhairne an Rileán in County Donegal has a mouthful of a name. Say it three times fast for me and tell me how…

More archaeology and monuments in County Donegal · All of County Donegal

Add to this placeAdd a picture Add a detailed tip Add a story

Explore the map1,095,414 places to discover

Next place · or swipeWedge tomb in Croaghonagh