Carrowkeel Megalithic Cemetery, History, Excavation & Neolithic Village. County Sligo, Ireland

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00:00 Carrowkeel
03:40 Cairn A
04:49 Cairn B
06:11 Cairn C
06:40 Cairn D
06:56 Cairn E
08:39 Cairn F
10:56 Cairn G
13:21 Cairn H
14:28 Cairn K
16:56 Cairn L
17:36 Pollnagollum cave
18:03 Cairn M
18:31 Cairn N
18:42 Cairn O
19:11 Cairn P
19:35 Neolithic Village

Across the middle of Ireland there’s a line of passage tombs going from Knocknarea in county Sligo in the west to the Boyne Valley tombs in county Meath in the east.
The neolithic burial practices spread across this line which started at least 6000 years ago.
All 4 major passage tomb cemeteries of Ireland are situated along this line.

Carrowkeel is near the village of Castlebaldwin, spread out across the highest summits of the northern ends of the Bricklieve mountains, the River Uinshin connects Carrowkeel at Lough Arrow to Carrowmore at Ballisodare Bay.

The Bricklieve mountains cover an area of 25 square kilometres and are a series of parallel limestone ridges with cliff-edged valleys in between running from North-west to South-east.

The shape of the mountains is like a gigantic hand, the Tully mountain in the west forms the thumb, and the Treanscrabbagh, Carn Mor, Carrowkeel and Doonaveeragh ridges are the fingers.

The cairns of Carrowkeel are built with locally quarried limestone and they are visible as small bumps on the ridges of the Bricklieve Mountains for many miles.

There are 14 cairns and 7 caves that are part of the Carrowkeel complex, all these cairn are dated to be constructed between 3400 BCE and 3100 BCE, making them over 5400 years old.

To the west are another 6 cairns towards the caves of Kesh Corran with the cairn known as The Pinnacle that stand on top of the Kesh Corran.

I will give you a warning; as I’ve done in the past I implore you to please not climb on the monuments. Not only can you get seriously hurt, but you could damage or destroy a piece of history which is unrepairable.

Visitors are asked to not take anything in or out of the tombs with them, Irish folklore speaks of a curse of bad luck that can be brought upon you if you damage or disrespect the ancient tombs.

In 2010 a Local Archaeologist named Robert Hensey discovered the first panel of megalithic art recorded at Carrowkeel in Cairn B.

The designs, 2 small spirals are difficult to see with the naked eye, and were discovered by taking numerous photo’s.
Spirals in megalithic art are thought to represent currents of energy moving through the chamber.

Cairn E is unique amongst the other monuments at Carrowkeel, it’s somewhat of a hybrid between a court tomb and a passage tomb.

It’s 35 meters long and 10 meters wide, and it’s quite striking in volume and shape, adding greatly to the mystery of Carrowkeel megalithic cemetery by its presence.

When you’re sitting in the back of the chamber the remaining stones of the entrance frame the Knocknarea mountain perfectly.

The best preserved monument at Carrowkeel is Cairn G, which is a fine example of a cruciform irish passage grave that’s been little disturbed over the last 6000 years or so.

The chamber is a great feat of engineering, and it was much admired by Macalister in his writings of the 1911 excavations.

The largest and oldest known prehistoric village in Ireland is situated on the flat limestone plateau of Doonaveeragh mountain.

The flint knife when it was freshly excavated is seen here, to find such a magnificent piece thousands of years after it had last been used must be an incredible feeling.
The knife has been dated to be from 3200 BCE.



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Footage:
   • Summer Solstice | Carrowkeel Passage Tombs  
   • Carrowkeel Tombs 👣 Rest Day Flying  
   • Carrowkeel Megalithic Cemetery, Ireland  
   • Up Close ~ The Carrowkeel Megalithic Passa...  
   • Carrowkeel Megalithic Passage Tumbs - Slig...  
   • Carrowkeel  Passage  Tombs.  

Sources:
http://www.carrowkeel.com/sites/carro...
Rites of Passage: Mortuary Practice, Population Dynamics,
and Chronology at the Carrowkeel Passage Tomb
Complex, Co. Sligo, Ireland
Robert Hensey (2008) The Observance of Light: A Ritualistic Perspective on ‘Imperfectly’ Aligned Passage Tombs, Time and Mind: The Journal of Archaeology, Consciousness and Culture, 1:3, 319-329

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