mega-what / glossary

Cork-Kerry type Axial Stone Circles

Stone Circles are usually regarded as ritual enclosures and have been defined as "an approximately circular setting of spaced Standing Stones which do not act as a kerb" (Burl 1976:8). Their main period of construction and use in the British Isles as a whole ranging from the late Neolithic until the late Bronze age, or roughly between 2500 and 800 BC. Burl (1976:20-35,333-9) is of the opinion that Stone Circles are an insular development of the British Isles, with sites in Brittany being related but too late to be ancestral and he regards them as the western / highland equivalent of the henge monuments found on better soils, generally in the east. The date range for the Irish sites is now regarded as c.1650 - c.800 BC (Lynch 1999) and they are commonly divided into two types, Five Stone Circles and Multiple Stone Circles. The Five Stone ones are regarded as later and some view them as "economy versions" erected during the declining years of the megalithic tradition, though an understanding of how they work opens that view to question.

Stone Circles, because they enclose space, more than any other type of monument are regarded as places where public ceremonies, perhaps concerning the sun or moon, might have been performed. However, most commentators focus on the discovery of cremation remains in four of the seven excavated Irish Axial Stone Circles and therefore tend to regard them as at least partly sepulchral in function. The association between some Circles and Boulder-Burials, which have been assumed to be grave markers, has tended to reinforce this view. The first two excavations of Five Stone Circles (Gogan 1931 & O'Riordain 1939) revealed no burial traces. The third (Lynch 1981) returned the expected primary cremation although nothing was found at an adjacent Multiple Stone Circle excavated at the same time. Fahy excavated three Multiple Stone Circles (1959,1961,1962) and was of the opinion that their cremation deposits had a dedicatory function only. As circles can now be shown to have a practical purpose, it seems probable that he was correct and furthermore that this concept of dedicatory ritual deposit rather than primary burial may perhaps be extended to all monument types in the Cork-Kerry Complex.

O'Nualláin (1984) surveyed 93 circles in Cork and Kerry - 45 Five Stone Circles and 48 Multiple Stone Circles, the Five Stone ones being regarded as a distinct sub-type. He said "The Cork-Kerry type Stone Circle is defined by an uneven number of spaced uprights symmetrically arranged with the axial stone on the south-western section of the perimeter, standing directly opposite the entrance. Characteristically, the stones decrease in height from the entrance down to the axial stone which is normally the lowest stone present.". This, though broadly true, is a simplistic definition for symmetry is often only a very notional feature and it is variations in the layout that give clues to which parts of the horizon are important. The stones flanking the entrance are known as the Portals and may be set in line with or perpendicular to the circumference; the Axial Stone is frequently wider than it is high. In O'Nualláin's study, the main axes of 59 circles where assessment was possible were found to have azimuths between 186° & 293° but one recent "discovery" discussed below may have an even more NW/SE orientation.

Walsh (1993) reported a known total of 55 Five Stone and 52 Multiple Stone examples making 107 Circles in all, but a few new finds have occurred and now the SMR records 56 of each. So far, this survey has taken in 18 Multiple Stone Circles, which is 32.1% of 56, and 15 Five Stone Circles that make 26.8% of 56, combining to represent 29.5% of the known total. There is also a very damaged site at Cullomane East, currently classified as an anomalous stone group that is probably another Five Stone Circle.

Ruggles (1996b) surveyed the axes of 31 Multiple Stone Circles in South-West Ireland from points 5m outside their Portals and found "no preference for orientation upon prominent hilltops and only marginal evidence for an interest in the moon, in the form of a single peak [in the gaussian curve of results] at around -29degrees". He found this a surprise contrast to the Irish Stone Rows (Ruggles 1994, 1996a) and the Scottish Circles that he had also surveyed, though he obtained no evidence of accurate astronomical alignments from them either. In this study, the horizon has generally been surveyed from the centre of the circle.

The assumption that Axial Stone Circles are uni-directional in the direction of the Axial Stone seems to have become widespread, for both Ruggles' study and a previous archaeoastronomical investigation of these circles (Barber 1973) concentrate narrowly and exclusively on this parameter. It is however a demonstrably incorrect assumption. Depending on site topography, circles may be bi-directional or uni-directional in either direction along the main axis. Furthermore, circles may indicate skyline features of interest in non-axial directions by subtle arrangement of other stones in the perimeter (Baurgorm W, Bohonagh, Carrigagrenane, Drombeg, Dunbeacon, Reenascreena). Some circles take advantage of horizon altitude differences to be solar in one direction and lunar in the other along the main axis (Cullomane East, Drombeg). External indicators may be used to reference missing elements (Cullomane East, Dunbeacon, Inchybegga, Knocks (south)). Gorteanish is a particularly interesting circle as it may have a NW/SE axis in order to exploit an unusual situation. The Five Stone Circles, while sharing some of the characteristics of their larger relatives also tend to show similarities to short stone rows.

Multiple Stone Circles with Radial Portals occur at Ahagilla, Ballyvackey, Bohonagh, Carrigagrenane, Knocks (north), Knocks (south) and Maulatanvally. Except for Knocks (south) and Ahagilla (both oriented to the major standstill), the axis of the Portals points south of the Axial Stone but does not seem to be intended to indicate a specific declination difference. Ballyvackey, Bohonagh, Knocks (north) and Maulatanvally are all basically equinoctial - Ballyvackey and Maulatanvally have equinoctial markers but are oriented a half-month before spring equinox, the other two have equinoctial axes.

Five circles have internal monoliths: - At Templebryan it indicates due South, at Knocks (south), Major Standstill in the south-east. At Dunbeacon the internal stone is now semi-recumbent but looks as if it might have indicated minor standstill to the north-east, the main axial orientation of the circle being NE/SW towards the major standstills. At Carrigagrenane the stone is fallen, its original orientation uncertain and the one at Maulatanvally is a quartz block sat on the surface, more like a boulder-burial than a monolith.

Three circles have axes oriented beyond the lunar maxima, they are all in the same general area and the Multiple Stone ones both have Radial Portals. At Carrigagrenane which also has an internal monolith and an indicated south-east range, the orientation is such that major standstill falls above the North end of the Axial Stone. At Templebryan the apparent orientation is more extreme but is again linked with use of the south-east horizon and an internal monolith. Glanbrack is a Five Stone Circle with an associated NW/SE oriented Anomalous Stone Pair and clear use made of those horizons. It is possible that these extreme orientations might indicate an interest in extra-zodiacal stars but it seems more likely that it is a device or convention designed to indicate use of the NW/SE axis for observation as well as the standard NE/SW one. A different device consisting of a clearly defined secondary axis is used at Drombeg and Dunbeacon, which are both fairly coastal and have circumferentially oriented Portals.

Calibrated Dates to 95.4% (2 sigma) confidence level. Source: O'Brien 1992.

Drombeg, cremation pot-sherds:1124-1115 or 1102- 794 BC
Reenascreena, N burial:1004- 888 or 886- 844 BC
Reenascreena, under bank:1214-1174 or 1172- 998 BC Terminus Post Quem
Reenascreena, ditch basal peat:252- 298 or 312- 412 AD Terminus Ante Quem
References
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© Michael Wilson.