They were excavated in 1977 but no plans or sections were published (Lynch 1981:65-69).
The Stone Row was built first, c.1000bc. It originally had four stones but the east-most one was gone before c.890ad.
Just to the south there was large (1.5m x 0.5 x 0.6) slab covered pit that contained no trace of a burial, just loose soil washed in from above.
The Five Stone Circle was built in the period 970-715 bc with a primary cremation, probably a 25-30 yr old, in a central slab covered pit (KE108-013003).
Some Standing Stones about 75m to the west were found to be the remains of a Multiple Stone Circle,
which would be regarded as a slightly earlier monument and the archaeoastronomical survey data tends to confirm it.
The site is on a shoulder of Knocknaveacal and there is a juxtaposition of local ground with more distant views.
South is on the left-side of the local hilltop where it coincides with sunsets a half-month either side of Winter Solstice,
also lunisticeLunistices are the most northerly and southerly moons of the month. The lunar equivalent of solstices - more.
sets at a sixteenth on the minor side of the midpoint.
North is unsurveyed due to forestry but would seem to be in a dip of the distant horizon
according to according to computerised calculations [Pic].
![[Pic].](CashelkeeltyFSC-N.jpg){kind=link}
The row and five stone circle stand side by side, close enough that they are effectively in the same place from an archaeoastronomical point of view.
To the north-East, sun rises from the south end of a mountain at the summer cross-quarters. Above it, the minor end of the lunisticeLunistices are the most northerly and southerly moons of the month. The lunar equivalent of solstices - more.
cycle occurs on the rather serrated summit.
North of that is obscured by forestry but a view from higher ground has been patched in. The scaling of that section should be fairly good but is unlikely to be accurate.
Both monuments are oriented eastwards towards Cummeenbaun mountain, a half-month north of the equinox. The last summit on the ridge that runs northwards from it is a half-month south of the summer cross-quarter. Halfway in time between them is the highpoint of the intervening ridge.
South of Cummeenbaun, the equinox is at the intersection of the two distant ridges. The half-months are either side of the summit,
then the winter cross-quarter falls on the first hump of a nearer ridge.
This nearer ridge has a very rocky profile that makes a good scale once the key points have been recognised.
It covers the remainder of the winter part of the year and more than half of the lunisticeLunistices are the most northerly and southerly moons of the month. The lunar equivalent of solstices - more.
range - up to the sixteenth on the major side of the midpoint.
At this sixteenth, the moon would rise in the notch at the foot of Knocknaveacal such that its centre crossed the lowest point.
It would then set again almost immediately, never gaining enough altitude to leave the notch.
The rocks just above the notch provide accurate pointers for the boundary between the period centred on the midpoint and the one centred on the sixteenth.
Knocknaveacal is south of the site and close, making a high horizon.
As from the nearby Multiple Stone Circle,
winter solstice sun and mid-cycle moon set into the hillslope while still rising.
The difference is that, as already mentioned, from here the sixteenth beyond the midpoint may be seen.
The price for that is a loss of utility to the west and no accurate south point.
Solstice / cross-quarter midpoint is at the top of the slope and lunar minor eighth falls accurately on a cluster of rocks on the eastern summit of the hill.
The highest point of the hill is at its western end, where rock outcrops allowed the possibility of measuring the minor end of the
lunisticeLunistices are the most northerly and southerly moons of the month. The lunar equivalent of solstices - more.
cycle with some accuracy.
Winter cross-quarter sunsets were marked by the basal step of the slope.
The western horizon is generally quite close. The three Standing Stones visible about 75m away are the Multiple Stone Circle remains.
Markers on this horizon are not as good from here as from there; best ones being winter cross-quarter and the equinox.
The circle's axial orientation is towards the equinox but the row points a week or so further south.
The half-month south of summer cross-quarter falls on a distant mountain top to the north-west and its intersect with local ground.
Minor standstillLunistice positions vary cyclically over an 18.6 year period but are fairly static for more than a year at either end of the range
is on top of a prominent rock outcrop just before the view becomes obscured by forestry.
Another view has been patched in from there but accuracy is not guaranteed.
- Similar use of a high southern horizon may also be seen at Barrees Stone Pair, about 8km away to the west.
- Shronebirrane Stone Circle, 2.25km to the SSE as the crow flies, has even more spectacular use of high horizons.
- Ardgroom Multiple Stone Circle, c.3km south-south-west is another good one.
References
- Archaeological Survey of Ireland, record details. www.archaeology.ie/archaeological-survey-ireland
- BYRNE, ELIZABETH, et.al. 2009 Archaeological Inventory of County Kerry, Volume 1: South West Kerry. Dublin: Stationary Office. p14, no.51; p28, no.109.
- LYNCH, ANN 1981 Man and the Environment in South-West Ireland, 4000 BC-AD 800. BAR British Series 85. Oxford: British Archaeological Reports.
- LYNCH, ANN 1982 Astronomy and Stone Alignments in S.W. Ireland. In Archaeoastronomy in the Old World, edited by D. Heggie, pp.205-213. Cambridge: University Press.
- Ó'NUALLÁIN, SEÁN 1975 The Stone Circle Complex of Cork and Kerry. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 105:83-131, no.55.
- Ó'NUALLÁIN, SEÁN 1984 A Survey of Stone Circles in Cork and Kerry. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 84c:1-77, p45, no.93.
- Ó'NUALLÁIN, SEÁN 1988 Stone Rows in the South of Ireland. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 88c:179-256, p240, no.69.
- RUGGLES, C.L.N. & Burl, H.A.W. 1995 Astronomical Influences on Prehistoric Ritual Architecture in North-Western Europe: The Case of the Stone Rows. Vistas in Astronomy 39:517-528. Oxford: Elsevier Science Ltd.
- RUGGLES, C.L.N. 1996 Stone Rows of Three or More Stones in South-West Ireland. Archaeoastronomy 21 (Journal of the History of Astronomy xxvii) S55-S71.
- RUGGLES, C.L.N. 1999 Astronomy in Prehistoric Britain and Ireland. Newhaven & London: Yale University Press. CKR66.