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The Passage Graves of Ireland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 May 2014

T. G. E. Powell
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Extract

Megalithic monuments take an important place amongst the relics of early civilization in Ireland, and within recent years efforts have been made to collect the much-needed information about their distribution and typology. Pride of place in this work must be given to Estyn Evans and others who have made important discoveries in the northern highlands, and have published a distribution map of the Segmented Gallery Graves (Horned Cairns) which they found in that area. The present paper endeavours to give a brief account of some recent work on Irish Passage Graves and to summarise the information available about this type of Irish chambered tombs, which includes such famous sites as New Grange and Dowth.

It is clear from the accompanying distribution map (fig. 1) that the primary settlement area of the Passage Grave builders was on the east coast, and here four foci as well as a number of scattered sites can be distinguished. These foci and the inland tombs derived from them may for convenience be called the Dublin, Boyne, Armagh, and North Antrim groups. A list of the tombs, together with map and bibliographical references, will be found in the Appendix to this paper (p. 247).

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society , Volume 4 , Issue 2 , December 1938 , pp. 239 - 248
Copyright
Copyright © The Prehistoric Society 1938

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References

page 239 note 1 My thanks are due to Dr Adolf Mahr, Director, National Museum, Dublin, and to Mr H. G. Leask Inspector of National Monuments, whose aid is indispensable to archaeological work in Ireland. Mr Estyn Evans has very kindly supplied information on sites in Antrim and Down, and permitted me to make use of his plans of the SI. Gullion, and Fair Hd; tombs.

This paper was written before the publication of Dr Mahr's Presidential Address which contains much of relevant interest.

page 239 note 2 The terms Gallery Grave and Passage Grave are used in a purely technical sense. See: Daniel, G. E., Antiquity, June, 1937, p. 184Google Scholar, and Proc. Preh. Soc., 1937, pp. 73–80Google Scholar.

page 239 note 3 Irish Naturalists Journal, vol. 5, no. 10, pp. 5 ffGoogle Scholar. A summary and bibliography of published excavations is given in Proc. Preh. Soc., 1937, pp. 167 ffGoogle Scholar. See also Ulster Journal of Archaeology, 1938, pp. 7 ffGoogle Scholar.

page 239 note 4 It is hoped that a more detailed paper with an inventory of sites and full bibliography will be published in Ireland in due course.

page 239 note 5 List of Wicklow tombs; P.R.I.A., XLII, c, p. 34. See also notes on Tibradden, (J.R.S.A.I., LXIII, p. 252)Google Scholar and Seefin (ibid., LXII, p. 153 ff).

page 242 note 1 Report of the 44th Congress and Research Committee for 1936, p. 35Google Scholar Congress of Archaeological Societies, London.

page 242 note 2 Coffey, G., New Grange, 1912Google Scholar.

page 243 note 1 Mr H. G. Leask has very kindly supplied this new and accurate plan and sections.

page 242 note 2 P.R.I.A., ix, pp. 41 f. and pp. 353 ff. P.S.A.Scot., XXII, pp. 294 ffGoogle Scholar. Coffey, G., New Grange, pp. 78 ffGoogle Scholar. These are the most important of many papers.

page 243 note 3 P.R.I.A., XXIX, C, pp. 31Google Scholar: ff.

page 243 note 4 Wood-Martin, W. G., ‘The Rude Stone Monuments of Ireland,’ J.R.S.A.I., 4th ser. vols. VII and VIIIGoogle Scholar.

page 244 note 1 Proc. Preh. Soc., 1936, p. 259Google Scholar.

page 244 note 2 Mr Estyn Evans informs me of a recently discovered tomb at West Torr, thus bringing the number to three visible chambers.

page 244 note 3 Pagan Ireland, by Wood-Martin, W. G., p. 359Google Scholar, and P.R.I.A., III, pp. 251 ffGoogle Scholar.

page 244 note 4 P.R.I.A., I, pp. 247 ffGoogle Scholar.

page 244 note 5 Harris', edition of Ware's, Ancient and present state of the County of Down (1774), p. 121Google Scholar.

page 245 note 1 Coffey, G., New Grange, pp. 98 ffGoogle Scholar (Knockmany); pp. 106 ff. (Seskilgreen).

page 245 note 2 Boate, G., Natural History of Ireland (1755), p. 199Google Scholar.

page 245 note 3 Daniel, G. E., Proc. Preh. Soc., 1937, pp. 77 fGoogle Scholar.

page 245 note 4 J.R.S.A.I., LXV, pp. 320 ffGoogle Scholar.

page 245 note 5 Clark, J. G. D. (Proc. Preh. Soc., 1937, p. 169)Google Scholar suggests Scottish affinities for some sherds from cam K.

page 245 note 6 Lochcrew, and Carrowmore, , P.S.A.S., xxx, p. 340 ffGoogle Scholar. Carrowkeel, Supra (10).

page 245 note 7 Mahr refers (Proc. Prehist. Soc., III (1937), 349Google Scholar) to similar beads from Feenagh, Co. Leitrim.

page 246 note 1 P.R.I.A., IX, pp. 353 ffGoogle Scholar.

page 246 note 2 The chief illustrated works are: Coffey, G.'s New Grange, and papers in P.S.A.Scot., XXVII, pp. 294 ff.Google Scholar, and P.R.I.A., XLI, pp. 162 ffGoogle Scholar. For bibliography see Macalister, , Archaeology of Ireland, p. 100Google Scholar.

page 246 note 3 Analytical papers: Breuil, and Macalister, , P.R.I.A., XXXVI, C, pp. 1 ff.Google Scholar; Burkitt, , IPEK, 1926, pp. 52 ff.Google Scholar; Breuil, , P.P.S.E.A., VII, pp. 289 ffGoogle Scholar.

page 246 note 4 Ebert, , Reallexikon der Vorgeschichte, VIII, taf. 20Google Scholar.

page 246 note 5 da Veiga, S. P. M. Estacio, Antiquidades Monumentaes do Algarve. vol. III, pp. 131 ff.Google Scholar, Lisbon, 1889.

page 247 note 1 This applies more exactly to the cemeteries of Brugh and Lochcrew.

page 247 note 2 The Irish basins are referred to by H. Obermaier in his El Dolmen de Matarrubilla (Sevilla), Comision do Investigaciones Paleontologicas y Prehistoricas, Madrid.

page 247 note 3 Archaeologia, LXXX, pp. 179 ffGoogle Scholar.

page 247 note 4 Arch. Camb., 1869, pp. 403 ffGoogle Scholar.

page 247 note 5 Childe, V. G., Trans. Glasgow Arch. Soc., VIII, pp. 120 ff.Google Scholar, and Prehistory of Scotland, pp. 22 ff.

page 247 note 6 P.S.A.S., XVIII pp. 328 ffGoogle Scholar.