Rockmarshall Court Tomb

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Rockmarshall Court Tomb
Native name
Tuama Cúirte Charraig an Mharascalaigh (Irish)
Court Tomb at Rockmarshall - geograph.org.uk - 5552757.jpg
The cairn in 2017
Type court cairn
Location County Louth, Ireland
Coordinates 54°00′33″N6°17′05″W / 54.009185°N 6.284757°W / 54.009185; -6.284757
Elevation50 m (160 ft)
Builtc.3500 BC
Official nameRockmarshall
Reference no.562
Ireland adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location in Ireland

Rockmarshall Court Tomb is a court cairn and National Monument located on the Cooley Peninsula, Ireland. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Location

Rockmarshall Court Tomb is located immediately southwest of Rockmarshall House, on the southern slopes of Annaloughan Mountain. [4]

History

Rockmarshall has been settled since the Mesolithic (c. 5700 BC on); excavation of a midden shows late tools, oysters and periwinkles. [5]

The Carlingford Lough/Cooley Peninsula region was low in Mesolithic activity in comparison to Strangford Lough and Belfast Lough, due to the low quality flint.[ citation needed ]

Carlingford and the Mournes could also have provided berries and nuts in season, and wild boar. A local population survived at Rockmarshall into the Neolithic, and the court cairn was built c. 3500 BC. [6]

Description

The gallery is 15 m (49 ft) long and at the northeast end is a broad court, its arc formed by six stones. The stones used are very low and some have fallen over. There are five chambers with each chamber narrower than the first. There is a lot of cairn material scattered around the gallery. [7] [8] [9] [10]

References

  1. Pearson, Michael Parker (1993). English Heritage book of Bronze Age Britain. B.T. Batsford. ISBN   978-0713468014 via Google Books.
  2. "Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland". Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. 1998 via Google Books.
  3. O'Sullivan, Harold (1997). Dundalk and North Louth: Paintings and Stories from Cuchulainn's Country. Dundurn. ISBN   978-1900935067 via Google Books.
  4. Killanin, Baron Michael Morris; Duignan, Michael V. (1989). The Shell guide to Ireland. Gill and Macmillan. ISBN   978-0717115952 via Google Books.
  5. Armit, Ian (2003). Neolithic Settlement in Ireland and Western Britain. London & Belfast: Prehistoric Society (Queen's University) – Oxbow Books. ISBN   978-1842170915 via Google Books.
  6. "Archeology of the Carlingford Lough Region – Newry Journal". 29 April 2021.
  7. PIP. "Rockmarshall Court Tomb/Megalithic Monuments". Ireland.com.
  8. "megalithomania.com".
  9. Weir, Anthony. "County Louth – selected monuments".
  10. "Rockmarshall Court Tomb".