Mine — copper in Mountgabriel

15m N of another mine (CO139-054---), on an extension of the same E-facing rock scarp. It is one of 31 copper mines belonging to Mount Gabriel Prehistoric mining complex (CO139-026001-). It consists in a large working driven 300° into the base of a near vertical rock face (H 3.8m). On inspection the mine entrance was infilled with spoil from associated dumps, and the interior is flooded. The N corner of the mine was accessible over a length of c.5m (H <1m), with smooth concave surfaces typical of fire-setting visible there. The entrance (Wth 7.3m; H 1.2m max) is the largest on Mount Gabriel. Outside the mine and extending S to (CO139-054---) were two conjoined spoil mounds (c. 45m N-S; c. 35m E-W), covering c. 1200m², to unknown depth (estimated 1-3m), representing the largest prehistoric spoil dumps on the mountain. The surface of the dumps was eroded in several places, exposing stone mauls. There is evidence of blanket peat growth on the S, N and E periphery of the dumps, and old turf banks were visible in the E margin of the spoil mound. A charcoal sample taken from the spoil dump (BM-2771R) was dated to 3410±140 BP. (O'Brien 1987, and 1994, 317-19: mine 10) This is a National Monument in State Care. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 1: West Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1992) and William O’Brien’s monograph ‘Mount Gabriel, Bronze Age mining in Ireland’ (Galway: Galway University Press, 1994). Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009