Clontygora Court Tomb
Clontygora Court Cairn · King's Ring Clontygora
Early Neolithic·Irish Court Tomb·🇬🇧 County Armagh, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
About
About Clontygora Court Tomb
Huge court tomb on a plateau near Killeen, South Armagh, built c.3800–3200 BCE, known as the King's Ring. The court 6.4 m wide and 13 m deep is lintelled at 0.41 m entrance narrowing, and leads to a gallery with walls up to 3.35 m upright slabs. Though cairn and kerb mostly lost, the court is one of the largest in Ireland, demonstrating court-tomb monumentality near Slieve Gullion.
Why it mattersHuge court tomb on a plateau near Killeen, South Armagh, built c.3800–3200 BCE, known as the King's Ring. The court 6.4 m wide and 13 m deep is lintelled at 0.41 m entrance narrowing, and leads to a gallery with walls up
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Entrance lintel restriction function
Theories
- 01Megalithic court as gathering space
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. 3800–3200 BCE
- Period
- Early Neolithic
- Culture
- Irish Court Tomb
- Purpose
- Huge court tomb
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 3800–3200 BCE
Initial construction
c. 1185 CE
Major expansion
On the ground
Structures & features
54.0728° N · 6.3405° W · 90 m · 2 mapped features
Huge court
forecourtCourt 6.4 m wide, 13 m deep with lintelled 0.41 m entrance between uprights
54.0728° N · 6.3405° WGallery chambers
chamberGallery with walls to 3.35 m, chambers defined by jamb stones
54.0728° N · 6.3406° W