What is recorded here

Granite and shale slabs formed a narrow chamber waiting forty centimetres beneath the Monksland soil. A plough broke the seal, exposing an east-west grave where human bones had rested since antiquity. The builder chose heavy local stone to keep the dead company, creating a small dark room against the changing sky.

The following description is derived from both the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1986) and the 'Archaeological Survey of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1991). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 17 July 2007 Stone-lined and lintelled grave (L c. 2m, Wth c. 0.6m), found during deep ploughing at a depth of 0.4m. The grave was aligned E-W with head at W. The cist was built of slabs of local granite and shale. Remains of further slabs in the disturbance nearby suggested a second cist (LH008-069002-).

Slab-lined burial in Monksland is a megalithic tomb, likely dating to the Neolithic period. Its construction reflects early communal burial practices significant to understanding prehistoric settlement in eastern Ireland.

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