Castlenalacht Stone Row
View looking north-east | |
Location | Parish of Innishannon, County Cork |
---|---|
Region | Ireland |
Type | Stone row |
History | |
Periods | Bronze Age |
Site notes | |
Condition | Good |
Ownership | Private |
Public access | Yes |
Castlenalacht Stone Row is an alignment (or stone row) of four tall and free-standing stones located on a hilltop in the townland of Castlenalacht, Innishannon parish, 6km north of Bandon, County Cork, Ireland.[1] It dates from the Bronze Age (c. 3000–4000 years ago) and is the largest of the over 80 stone rows in south-west Ireland.[2]
Description
The four Castlenalacht stones are arranged in ascending order of height across a distance of 13.4 m (44 ft). They measure from 3.4 m (11 ft) to 13.4 m (44 ft), making the row the largest, in both length and height, in the south-west Ireland region where the majority of Irish stone rows are found.[2][3] The site is placed on one of the area's highest hilltops; according to the archaeologist Clive Ruggles, the builders tended to favour locations where the axis, from largest to smallest stone, leads to a relatively distant (usually more than 5.0 km (3.1 mi) away) horizon.[4]
A fifth and much smaller stone lying prostrate between the smaller two is of a different type of stone and can be assumed to have been placed at a later date.[5]
Dating and function
Like all stone rows in Ireland, the Castlenalacht stones were erected in the Bronze Age (c. 3000–4000 years ago, during the same period that stone circles were built) and is aligned on a north-east/south-west axis,[6] with the largest stone positioned at the south-east side.[7] Unusually, the Castlenalacht stones are positioned slightly off their axis.[8] The precise functions of these constructions are unknown; most archaeologists assume a ceremonial or ritualistic purpose.[7]
A nearby field contains a large and near contemporary boulder-burial stone, known as the "Garranes Boulder burial", which is supported by three smaller stones measuring from 40 cm (16 in) to 60 cm (24 in) in height.[9]
References
- ^ Ó Nualláin (1998), pp. 182, 235
- ^ a b Ruggles (1994), p. S1
- ^ Ó Nualláin (1998), p. 180
- ^ Ruggles (1994), pp. S11–12
- ^ "Castlenalacht - Stone Row / Alignment". The Megalithic Portal. Retrieved 26 November 2023
- ^ Ruggles (1994), p. S4
- ^ a b Power (1992), p. 23
- ^ Ó Nualláin (1998), p. 181
- ^ Power (2020), p. 53
Sources
- Ó Nualláin, Seán. "Stone Rows in the South of Ireland". Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy: Archaeology, Culture, History, Literature, volume 88C, 1988. JSTOR 25516044
- Power, Denis. Archaeological Heritage of County Cork. Cork County Council, 2020. ISBN 978-1-91167-701-7
- Power, Denis. Archaeological inventory of County Cork, Volume 3: Mid Cork. Stationery Office, 1992. ISBN 978-0-7076-4933-7
- Ruggles, Clive. "The Stone Rows of South-west Ireland: A First Reconnaissance". Journal for the History of Astronomy, Archaeoastronomy, Supplement, volume 25, 1994
External links
- Entry at the Modern Antiquarian
- v
- t
- e
- Metsamor
- Zorats Karer
- Barnenez
- Tumulus of Bougon
- Caixa de Rotllan
- Carnac
- Menhir de Champ-Dolent
- Dolmen de Bagneux
- Broken Menhir of Er Grah
- Dolmen de Mané-Kerioned
- Filitosa
- Gallardet Dolmen
- Gavrinis
- Harrespil
- Hotié de Viviane
- Kerzérho
- Locmariaquer megaliths
- Mane Braz
- Paddaghju
- Peyre-Brune
- Tombeau de Merlin
- Tremeca
- Verziau of Gargantua
- Altendorf
- Denghoog
- Fraubillen cross
- Harhoog
- Lancken-Granitz dolmens
- Lohra
- Megaliths in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
- Niedertiefenbach
- Oldendorfer Totenstatt
- Riesenstein
- Route of Megalithic Culture
- Sieben Steinhäuser
- Wotanstein
- Züschen
- Castel Menhir
- Le Creux ès Faïes
- Déhus Dolmen
- Les Fouillages
- La Gran'mère du Chimquière
- Le Trépied
- La Varde
- List of five-stone circles
- List of multiple-stone circles
- Aideen's Grave
- Ardgroom
- Ardristan standing stones
- Beltany stone circle
- Bohonagh
- Brennanstown Portal Tomb
- Brownshill dolmen
- Brú na Bóinne
- Carrigagulla
- Carrowmore
- Castlenalacht Stone Row
- Castlestrange Stone
- Creevykeel Court Tomb
- Drombeg
- Gaulstown Portal Tomb
- Glantane East
- Grange stone circle
- High cross
- Kealkill
- Knocknakilla
- Meehambee Dolmen
- Mount Venus
- Piper's Stones
- Poulnabrone dolmen
- Reask
- Templebryan Stone Circle
- Turoe Stone
- Uragh Stone Circle
- Megalithic Temples (Borġ l-Imramma
- Borġ in-Nadur
- Buġibba
- Debdieba
- Ġgantija
- Ħaġar Qim
- Ħal Ġinwi
- Kordin
- Mnajdra
- Qortin l-Imdawwar
- Santa Verna
- Skorba
- Ta' Ħaġrat
- Ta' Marżiena
- Ta' Raddiena
- Tal-Qadi
- Tarxien
- Tas-Silġ
- Xemxija
- Xrobb l-Għaġin)
- Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum
- Xagħra Stone Circle
- Almendres Cromlech
- Anta de Adrenunes
- Anta de Agualva
- Anta do Alto da Toupeira
- Antas do Barrocal
- Anta de Carcavelos
- Anta da Estria
- Antas da Valeira
- Anta do Monte Abraão
- Antas do Olival da Pêga
- Anta da Pedra dos Mouros
- Anta das Pedras Grandes
- Anta da Vidigueira
- Great Dolmen of Zambujeiro
- Barreira Megalithic Complex
- Dolmen of Cunha Baixa
- Dolmen of Carapito I
- Great Dolmen of Comenda da Igreja
- Menhir of Outeiro
- Menhir of Bulhoa
- Vale Maria do Meio Cromlech
- Xerez Cromlech
- Picture stones
- Runestones
- Stone circles
- Stone ships
- Boundary Stones
Kingdom