Poulnabrone Portal Tomb * Poulnabrone dolmen * the Burren, County Clare, Ireland *
In the heart of the Burren, sits the infamous Irish “hole of sorrows”. It is a portal tomb that dates back to the Neolithic, approximately between 4,200 and 2,900 B.C.E. dolmen consists of a 12′ tall, thin, slab-like tabular capstone supported by two slender portal stones. The construction creates a 9m low cairn chamber that has a north facing entrance. Excavations in the area uncovered between 16 and 22 adults with 6 children buried underneath the monument. Personal effects included a polished stone axe, a bone pendant, quartz crystals, weapons, and pottery. A later burial of a newborn baby was found in the portico just outside the entrance. This sacred space was most likely used for ceremonies and rituals as well as the burials.
To learn more about Cairns and stacked rocks
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