Anomalous stone group, Cúil An Mhothair, Co. Cork

Co. Cork |

Stone Monuments

Anomalous stone group, Cúil An Mhothair, Co. Cork

Two sandstone boulders sit in a pasture on a south-facing slope in Cúil An Mhothair, Mid Cork, close enough together to suggest a relationship yet irregular enough to resist easy classification.

That designation, anomalous stone group, is itself a quiet admission that these stones do not fit the usual categories, neither a recognised megalithic tomb, nor an alignment, nor a straightforward outcrop. Something about their arrangement prompted somebody to record them, and then to leave the question open.

The larger of the two boulders stands roughly 0.9 metres high and measures approximately 1.2 metres by 0.9 metres, with its long axis running northeast to southwest. The second, slightly lower at 0.7 metres, is oriented differently, its long axis running northwest to southwest, and lies about 2.7 metres to the southwest of the first. Both are irregular sandstone, the kind of local material that makes it genuinely difficult to distinguish a deliberately placed stone from one that simply ended up where it is through geological chance. That difficulty is precisely why the anomalous label exists in Irish archaeological recording; it acknowledges that a feature is notable enough to document but that the evidence for human intent remains inconclusive.

Rated 0 out of 5

Visitor Notes

Review type for post source and places source type not found
Added by
Picture of Pete F
Pete F
IrishHistory.com is passionate about helping people discover and connect with the rich stories of their local communities.
Please use the form below to submit any photos you may have of Anomalous stone group, Cúil An Mhothair, Co. Cork. We're happy to take any suggested edits you may have too. Please be advised it will take us some time to get to these submissions. Thank you.
Name
Email
Message
Upload images/documents
Maximum file size: 100 MB
If you'd like to add an image or a PDF please do it here.

Advertisement