Donaghmore basement

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The complex, H-shaped basement of Donaghmore is located in the townland of Donaghmore ( Irish An Domhnach Mór ) about 3.6 km west of Dundalk and south of the basements of Newtownbalregan and Farrandreg in County Louth in Ireland . It is one of 14 basements that were excavated in the basement- rich County Louth in Ireland by 1998.

In the case of basements , a distinction is made between “earth-cut”, “rock-cut”, “mixed”, “stone built” and “wooden” (e.g. Coolcran, County Fermanagh ). The basement is about 40 m long on the lower level and about 30 m long on a second level and is the longest in County Louth. It was discovered during the construction of Louth County Council Cottage in 1960 and excavated by Etienne Rynne. He found several corridors, a pit and two post holes, as well as shards of basement goods , a bronze needle , a grindstone and iron slag.

The “stone built” basement of Donaghmore has an H-shaped main complex of three straight underground tunnels made of dry masonry with a width and height of about 1.0 m and a ceiling made of stone slabs. There are ventilation shafts on the end walls of the three lower corridors. About 4.0 m from the end of the third corridor there is a gap in the roof for access to the fourth corridor. The corridor is about 4.0 m long and runs on a higher level. Near the end there is a slip that leads to a fifth gear that is about 20 meters in the same direction.

purpose

The purpose of the basement is not entirely unknown since the Windwick excavation. Interpretations as defensive structures, stables or storage facilities were rejected. Most likely a cultic function.

Basement goods

Finds in basement are rare. However, found in several, e.g. B. Downview, in Westpark, near Belfast , flat pottery, which, although not datable, apparently dates from early Christian times in the northeastern part of the island. It is called Basement Ware , although it is more numerous in ring forts like Lissue and Ballyaghagan in County Antrim and in Crannógs like that in Lough Faughan in County Down or in settlements.

The Donaghmore basement is a national monument.

See also

literature

  • S. Ua Cuinn (Eng. J. Quinn): Some Souterrains of Louth In: Journal of the County Louth Archaeological Society Vol. 1, No. 1 (Jul., 1904), pp. 37-40
  • Etienne Rynne: Basement at Donaghmore, Co. Louth . Journal of the County Louth Archaeological Society. 14 (3) 1959 pp. 148-153. JSTOR 27728970 . doi : 10.2307 / 27728970 .
  • Mark Clinton: The Souterrains of Ireland . Wordwell, Bray Co. Wicklow 2001, ISBN 1-869857-49-6
  • Jürgen E. Walkowitz: The megalithic syndrome. European cult sites of the Stone Age (= contributions to the prehistory and early history of Central Europe. Vol. 36). Beier & Beran, Langenweißbach 2003, ISBN 3-930036-70-3 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Ian Armit: The abandonment of Souterrains: evolution, catastrophe or dislocation? In: Proc Soc Antiq Scot . tape 129 (1999) , pp. 577-596 ( online [PDF]).
  2. ↑ http://www.orkneyjar.com/archaeology/2007/09/09/a-fresh-look-at-orkneys-earth-houses/

Coordinates: 54 ° 0 ′ 10.6 ″  N , 6 ° 27 ′ 33.8 ″  W.