Motes, hachured — Cush

In rough pasture, in centre of an archaeological complex (LI048-034006/042-) located on the 'Supposed Site of Temaír Erann', which was the ancient cemetery of the Ernai tribe on Slievereagh (Sliabh Riabhach) (Westropp 1919, 9; Westropp 1917-19, 179; Westropp 1918, 111). One of three possible bowl-barrows (LI048-034010/012-), within a large field system (LI048-034001-). Ringfort (LI048-034008-) lies 50m to NE and a cist (LI048-034015-) lies 10m to SW. Listed as 'Tumulus III' and was one of three bowl-barrows excavated by Ó Ríordáin (1940, 133-137) between 1934-5. Earthwork described as a ‘bowl-barrow’ by Ó Ríordáin which he recorded as follows; ‘There was no essential difference in structure between this mound and T[umulus] II [LI048-034012-] beyond the fact that it was slightly larger, its overall diameter being 54 feet [16.45m]. This mound had also been dug into in 1924 and when we cleared off the heavy growth of furze which covered this, though not the other tumuli, we found it possible to distinguish the mark of the earlier digging. This operation consisted of the cutting of a trench about 8 feet [2.4m] wide through the centre of the mound, though, as our sections revealed, the trench did not go down to the old ground surface under the tumulus and the digging had not been rewarded by any "finds." The soil had been replaced by the earlier investigators but certain irregularities in the surface of the mound marked the extent of their cutting, and the material thrown up formed a slight shoulder round the tumulus on about three-quarters of its circumference. The sections showed the height of the tumulus above original ground level to be six feet [1.8m]. They showed plainly the cutting made in 1924, but showed also a second small disturbance which, also, did not reach original ground level. This second cutting may have been due to an earlier disturbance or may have been caused by further digging in 1924 of which we were not informed. On the original ground level we found, over an irregular area of about 18 feet [5.5m] by 16 feet [4.87m], cremated bones and a thin layer of charcoal, evidently the site of the cremation pyre, and the remains of the burial. We have, therefore, in T[umulus] III a second example of the type of burial exemplified also in T [umulus] II, in which a tumulus was raised over the cremated remains on the site where the cremation had taken place' (ibid. 139). Monument visible as a raised circular platform or mound with traces of an external fosse on Digital Globe orthoimage taken between 2011-13 and on Google Earth othoimages. See attached plans from Ó Ríordáin and Google Earth orthoimages. Compiled by: Fiona Rooney Date of upload: 27 August 2021