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Ireland 6. The Poulnabrone Dolmen, County, Clare This is on the R480 road running north to Ballyvaughan.
Poulnabrone dolmen stands on a limestone pavement of the Burren hills and must be the most photographed archaeological site in Ireland! In the foreground is a large limestone rock left behind by the last glacier to cover the Burren!
It is a neolthic ritual-burial site dating from about 2500 BC, i.e. over 4500 years old.
The remains of about 22-28 people were found in the chamber including six children and the adults were all less than thirty in age.
A number of artefacts were also found in the graves e.g. a polished stone axe, stone disc beads, bone pendant - perforated to hang on 'string', quartz crystals and a fine bone pin.
The dolmen stands on a low circular cairn about 30 feet in diameter.
The great horizontal slab rests on four upright stones. previous Irish site <=> next Irish site
Sometimes archaeological sites are well and truly on the tourist trail and others you need to search in the small print. Either way, we always find it a pleasure wherever we are to visit an interesting archaeological site wherever we are on holiday, even if sites suffer from over indulgent tourism. Ancient prehistoric sites always hold a fascination as the tantalising archaeology always poses more questions that it answers and the archaeology of Ireland is as fascinating as any in Europe! * page updated Jan 15th 2007 * EMAIL Phil Brown * images-photographs-pictures-photos-webshots © Dr W P Brown * |
