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The Tombs of Our Ancestors

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The Tombs of Our Ancestors COUNTRY Heritage NATIONAL MONUMENTS AN ROINN EALAÍON, OIDREACHTA AGUS GAELTACHTA | DEPARTMENT OF ARTS, HERITAGE AND THE GAELTACHT The tombs of our ancestors uring the Neolithic period (New Stone Age, This is the latest in a series of articles from the National Monuments Service circa 4000-2000BC), farmers had a strong of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to introduce Farmers Dbelief in the afterlife. They invested Journal readers to the archaeology of Ireland and to highlight the vital role a huge amount of time in the design and construction of their burial of the farming community in preserving our heritage. monuments. They buried some of their dead in very large stone structures which are today identi- fi ed as megalithic tombs. These burial places would have stood out as spectacular monuments in the landscape and would have been in sharp contrast to the simple timber houses occupied by the living. TYPES OF TOMBS There are four distinct types of megalithic tombs in Ireland: pas- sage tombs, court tombs, portal tombs and wedge tombs. Ireland’s most famous megalithic tomb is the passage tomb in Newgrange. A passage tomb consists of a round mound or cairn of stones with a passage leading from the edge to a chamber inside. Some of the stones used in the construction of these tombs were decorated by the farmers using stone tools. Evidence from exca- vated passage tombs tells us that Pictures: © Stone Age farmers did not bury their dead in individual graves like we do today. Instead, they cremated the body and the burnt bones were National Monuments Service Photographic Unit mixed back in with those of other members of their community who had gone before them. Some of the tombs clearly referenced signifi cant events in the calendar. For example, Newgrange was designed to allow the sun to light up the inside of the tomb on the shortest day of the year – the winter solstice – suggesting that, perhaps, we had more sunshine in Stone Age times! Recognising the seasonal cycle was, of course, just as important to Stone Age farmers as it is to farming communities today. Court tombs have a semi- CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Newgrange passage tomb; Creevykeel court tomb, Sligo; Brownshill portal tomb, Carlow; Altar wedge tomb, West Cork. circular shaped forecourt at the entrance, which usually faces east. Like the court tombs, these tombs type of tomb – known as a wedge and that communities must have This forecourt leads into one or are found mainly in the northern tomb – was constructed. The wedge been highly organised. more burial chambers. Court tombs part of the country with small con- tomb consists of a rectangular There are remains of over 1,000 survive today as trapezoidal-shaped centrations in south Leinster and chamber of large stones which usu- known megalithic tombs in Ireland arrangements of large stones with a Waterford. ally narrows and declines in height but they are not unique to this curved forecourt. They would origi- One of the best-known portal towards the back and is roofed with country. Stone Age farmers in Por- nally have been covered with a long Stone Age farmers did not tombs is Poulnabrone in the Burren, large slabs. tugal, France, Denmark and Britain mound or cairn of loose stones. This bury their dead in individual Co Clare. An archaeological excava- Like the other megalithic tombs, also built similar structures for their type of tomb is found mainly in the graves. Instead, they cremated tion undertaken at this national it would originally have been cov- dead. northern half of the country. A very the body and the burnt bones monument uncovered the remains ered with a cairn of loose stones. While the Stone Age farmers impressive example can be seen at were mixed back in with those of at least 22 individuals along with This type of tomb is found all over may have constructed these monu- Creevykeel in Co Sligo. of other members of their objects including a polished stone, the country with large concentra- ments over 4,000 years ago it is the Portal tombs (sometimes re- community who had gone fl int tools and pottery. These burials tions in the south and west. A fi ne 21st century farmer who is now ferred to as dolmens) are so called are all over 5,000 years old. example of a wedge tomb in State their custodian, preserving them before them ... because they are constructed with Passage, court and portal tombs ownership is located in the town- for future generations and provid- two large upright stones forming were all constructed during the land of Altar in West Cork. ing the dead with the respect they the entrance or portal to a single Neolithic period when all tools were deserve. CL chamber behind. A massive cap- made of stone. However, just before HIGHLY ORGANISED stone rests on these upright stones. the introduction of bronze (about All of these tombs indicate that NEXT WEEK Originally they may also been cov- 2350BC) and during the early farmers during the Neolithic period IRELAND’S FIRST ered in a large cairn of loose stones. Bronze Age itself, a slightly different were very advanced architecturally GOLDEN AGE Please remember that all recorded archaeological monuments are protected under the National Monuments Acts 1930-2004. Visitors to archaeological monuments on lands in private ownership should request permission from the landowner. If you would like to know more about the archaeological monuments on your land or in your locality, please visit www.archaeology.ie. Any questions or feedback can be forwarded to [email protected] COUNTRY LIVING 28 January 2012 11.
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