Loughcrew Cairn L West Chamber — Northern Annex
Middle Neolithic (3600-3000 BCE)·Irish Neolithic·🇮🇪 County Meath, Ireland
About
About Loughcrew Cairn L West Chamber — Northern Annex
Loughcrew Cairn L West Chamber — Northern Annex 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 chamber 5 × 3 m and ancillary features including stratified deposits and lithic/ceramic assemblages. The location at 53.7559N -7.0960E 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
- 01Scale of population vs agricultural catchment
- 02Ritual vs domestic use
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
- Partially excavated
c. 3300 BCE
Initial construction of Loughcrew Cairn L West Chamber — Northern Annex main structure
c. 808 CE
Secondary refurbishment / reuse phase documented stratigraphically at Loughcrew Cairn L West Chamber — Northern Annex
19th–20th century
Modern excavation and survey (campaigns at Loughcrew Cairn L West Chamber — Northern Annex) with geophysical prospection
On the ground
Structures & features
53.7559° N · 7.0960° W · 259 m · 3 mapped features
Loughcrew Cairn L West Chamber — Northern Annex — Main Megalithic Feature
enclosurePrimary enclosure at Loughcrew Cairn L West Chamber — Northern Annex — rock-cut facade with stratified deposits
53.7561° N · 7.0965° WLoughcrew Cairn L West Chamber — Northern Annex — Secondary Enclosure
rock artAncillary rock art at Loughcrew Cairn L West Chamber — Northern Annex — platform mound with stratified deposits
53.7553° N · 7.0976° WLoughcrew Cairn L West Chamber — Northern Annex — Outlier Rock Art Panel
hydraulicOutlier hydraulic panel linked to Loughcrew Cairn L West Chamber — Northern Annex ceremonial landscape
53.7554° N · 7.0947° W