Loughcrew Cairn L West Chamber
Middle Neolithic (3600-3000 BCE)·Irish Neolithic·🇮🇪 County Meath, Ireland
About
About Loughcrew Cairn L West Chamber
Loughcrew Cairn L West Chamber in County Meath, Ireland is a Middle Neolithic (3600-3000 BCE) megalithic attributed to Irish Neolithic. Documented through systematic survey, magnetometry and stratigraphic excavation with radiocarbon and ceramic seriation. The site comprises a principal necropolis 12 × 2 m and ancillary features including stratified deposits and lithic/ceramic assemblages. The location at 53.7435N -7.1129E controls access to County Meath 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 Meath, 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. 3300 BCE
- Period
- Middle Neolithic (3600-3000 BCE)
- Culture
- Irish Neolithic
- Purpose
- Collective burial and territorial marker for agro-pastoral community
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 3300 BCE
Initial construction of Loughcrew Cairn L West Chamber main structure
c. 1309 BCE
Secondary refurbishment / reuse phase documented stratigraphically at Loughcrew Cairn L West Chamber
1977–2016
Modern excavation and survey (campaigns at Loughcrew Cairn L West Chamber) with geophysical prospection
On the ground
Structures & features
53.7435° N · 7.1129° W · 283 m · 4 mapped features
- Loughcrew Cairn L West Chamber — Main Megalithic FeaturestructurePrimary structure at Loughcrew Cairn L West Chamber — enclosure wall with stratified deposits53.7421° N · 7.1141° W
- Loughcrew Cairn L West Chamber — Secondary EnclosureenclosureAncillary enclosure at Loughcrew Cairn L West Chamber — platform mound with stratified deposits53.7441° N · 7.1123° W
- Loughcrew Cairn L West Chamber — Outlier Rock Art Panelrock artOutlier rock_art panel linked to Loughcrew Cairn L West Chamber ceremonial landscape53.7446° N · 7.1140° W
- Loughcrew Cairn L West Chamber — Hydraulic/Cistern AnnexhydraulicHydraulic feature — cistern/reservoir at Loughcrew Cairn L West Chamber with plastered basin53.7422° N · 7.1144° W
Gallery