Ballykeel
The dolmen of Ballykeel ( Irish Baile Caol - dt. The narrow homestead) is a so-called "tripod" or tripod dolmen, as only four stones remain of the system, which was originally in a cairn, which makes it aesthetically interesting . J. Fergusson (1808–1886) coined the term to describe these and similar megalithic systems (e.g. Annadorn , Ballylumford , Kilclooney More 1 , Legananny , Proleek or Tirnony ) of the type that are actually Neolithic portal tombs . The facility is a national monument .
Ballykeel is not far from the border with the Republic of Ireland near Forkhill in "Ó Fiaich Country" in the south of Armagh in Northern Ireland on the edge of a river terrace , in the west of the Slieve Gullion . The monument is known locally as "The Hag's Chair" ( German "the witch 's chair " ). Around 3000 BC The facility, which later collapsed, was excavated and restored in 1963.
Like all tripod pillars or quoits , the Ballykeel consists of three bearing stones and the cap stone, which is over three meters long. It shows an L-shaped notch, the purpose of which is unknown. Such a shoulder-shaped notch was also found at the Tomb Legananny portal .
At Ballykeel, the remains of the stone mound were found in connection with the complex. The dolmen was at the southern end of the only 0.75 m high cairn , which was 28.5 m long and about 9.0 m wide. During the excavation, the remains of a stone box were discovered at the northern end of the stone mound , which contained large quantities of fragments of various Neolithic pottery, including the fragments of three richly decorated elegant containers. There were also some flint tools , including a spearhead .
As a result of the acidic soil, no organic materials survived at the site.
See also
literature
- James Fergusson : Rude Stone Monuments in all Countries; their Age and Uses. Murray, London 1872, ( digitized ).
- Kenneth McNally: Standing Stones and other monuments of early Ireland. Appletree, Belfast 1984, ISBN 0-86281-121-X .
Web links
Coordinates: 54 ° 7 '54.7 " N , 6 ° 28' 44.4" W.