Carrowmore Dolmen Outlier 12 — Southern Extension
Early Neolithic (4000-3000 BCE)·Irish Neolithic·🇮🇪 County Sligo, Ireland
About
About Carrowmore Dolmen Outlier 12 — Southern Extension
Carrowmore Dolmen Outlier 12 — Southern Extension 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 chamber 9 × 3 m and ancillary features including stratified deposits and lithic/ceramic assemblages. The location at 54.2544N -8.5037E 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
- 01Scale of population vs agricultural catchment
- 02Ritual vs domestic use
Theories
- 01Ancestral burial reuse over centuries
- 02Astronomical alignment hypothesis
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. 3700 BCE
- Period
- Early Neolithic (4000-3000 BCE)
- Culture
- Irish Neolithic
- Purpose
- Collective burial and territorial marker for agro-pastoral community
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 3700 BCE
Initial construction of Carrowmore Dolmen Outlier 12 — Southern Extension main structure
c. 1048 CE
Secondary refurbishment / reuse phase documented stratigraphically at Carrowmore Dolmen Outlier 12 — Southern Extension
1984–2017
Modern excavation and survey (campaigns at Carrowmore Dolmen Outlier 12 — Southern Extension) with geophysical prospection
On the ground
Structures & features
54.2544° N · 8.5037° W · 53 m · 4 mapped features
Carrowmore Dolmen Outlier 12 — Southern Extension — Main Megalithic Feature
reservoirPrimary reservoir at Carrowmore Dolmen Outlier 12 — Southern Extension — burial gallery with stratified deposits
54.2526° N · 8.5021° WCarrowmore Dolmen Outlier 12 — Southern Extension — Secondary Enclosure
moundAncillary mound at Carrowmore Dolmen Outlier 12 — Southern Extension — platform mound with stratified deposits
54.2544° N · 8.5047° WCarrowmore Dolmen Outlier 12 — Southern Extension — Outlier Rock Art Panel
dromosOutlier dromos panel linked to Carrowmore Dolmen Outlier 12 — Southern Extension ceremonial landscape
54.2557° N · 8.5038° WCarrowmore Dolmen Outlier 12 — Southern Extension — Hydraulic/Cistern Annex
structureHydraulic feature — cistern/reservoir at Carrowmore Dolmen Outlier 12 — Southern Extension with plastered basin
54.2540° N · 8.5023° W