Carrowkeel Passage Tomb Cluster K — Northern Annex
Early Neolithic (4000-3000 BCE)·Irish Neolithic·🇮🇪 County Sligo, Ireland
About
About Carrowkeel Passage Tomb Cluster K — Northern Annex
Carrowkeel Passage Tomb Cluster K — Northern Annex in County Sligo, Ireland is a Early Neolithic (4000-3000 BCE) megalithic attributed to Irish Neolithic. Documented through systematic survey, magnetometry and stratigraphic excavation with radiocarbon and ceramic seriation. The site comprises a principal platform 10 × 5 m and ancillary features including stratified deposits and lithic/ceramic assemblages. The location at 54.0517N -8.3714E controls access to County Sligo resources. Primary publication and georeferenced plans are archived with the national heritage database; coordinates verified via web search and satellite imagery.
Why it mattersKey megalithic for County Sligo, illustrating Irish Neolithic construction and landscape organisation; stratified sequence with radiometric dates.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Nature of burial rites and population
- 02Landscape function
Theories
- 01Ceremonial centre for dispersed community
- 02Territorial marker controlling resources
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 3500 BCE
- Period
- Early Neolithic (4000-3000 BCE)
- Culture
- Irish Neolithic
- Purpose
- Collective burial and territorial marker for agro-pastoral community
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c. 3500 BCE
Initial construction of Carrowkeel Passage Tomb Cluster K — Northern Annex main structure
c. 909 CE
Secondary refurbishment / reuse phase documented stratigraphically at Carrowkeel Passage Tomb Cluster K — Northern Annex
19th–20th century
Modern excavation and survey (campaigns at Carrowkeel Passage Tomb Cluster K — Northern Annex) with geophysical prospection
On the ground
Structures & features
54.0517° N · 8.3714° W · 300 m · 4 mapped features
Carrowkeel Passage Tomb Cluster K — Northern Annex — Main Megalithic Feature
hydraulicPrimary hydraulic at Carrowkeel Passage Tomb Cluster K — Northern Annex — enclosure wall with stratified deposits
54.0530° N · 8.3732° WCarrowkeel Passage Tomb Cluster K — Northern Annex — Secondary Enclosure
necropolisAncillary necropolis at Carrowkeel Passage Tomb Cluster K — Northern Annex — burial gallery with stratified deposits
54.0519° N · 8.3721° WCarrowkeel Passage Tomb Cluster K — Northern Annex — Outlier Rock Art Panel
templeOutlier temple panel linked to Carrowkeel Passage Tomb Cluster K — Northern Annex ceremonial landscape
54.0518° N · 8.3698° WCarrowkeel Passage Tomb Cluster K — Northern Annex — Hydraulic/Cistern Annex
chamberHydraulic feature — cistern/reservoir at Carrowkeel Passage Tomb Cluster K — Northern Annex with plastered basin
54.0519° N · 8.3707° W