The Carlingford Culture

John X. W. P. Corcoran

doi:10.1017/S0079497X00016273

The Carlingford Culture

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 May 2014

John X. W. P. Corcoran

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John X. W. P. Corcoran: Affiliation:
Department of Extra-Mural Studies, University of London

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This paper is devoted to a study of the horned-cairns of the North-east of Ireland and their associated artifacts. The term ‘horned-cairn’ is used to describe those segmented gallery-graves set in a long cairn and entered from a semi-circular forecourt delimited by an orthostatic facade. It is realized that this term is not altogether satisfactory, but it has the virtue of brevity and its usage is now well established. Some contemporary Irish prehistorians, notably Professor Ruaidhrí de Valéra, have suggested the term ‘court-cairn’ for all the manifestations in Ireland of the segmented gallery-grave having elaborate structural forecourts. This would include cairns in the West of Ireland with completely enclosed courts (described as court-cairns in this paper) as well as horned-cairns proper. The confusion which might arise from the use of such terms as ‘full court-cairn’, ‘half court-cairn’, ‘forecourt-cairn’ and the like have decided the present writer to retain in this paper the simple terms ‘horned-cairn’ and ‘court-cairn’.

This study is divided into two main sections. The first is descriptive, being concerned with horned-cairns and associated artifacts and the second attempts to place the Carlingford Culture as a whole in its context in prehistory. In view of the paucity of detailed information about court-cairns, particularly the almost complete lack of excavation, no detailed study is made of these. At the time of going to press it is understood that a paper by Professor de Valéra on the court-cairns of the west is about to be published in the Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy.

Type: Research Article
Information: Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society , Volume 26 , December 1960 , pp. 98 - 148

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0079497X00016273 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © The Prehistoric Society 1960

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References

^{page 98 note 1} Detailed references to individual Irish horned-cairns are given in the Register of Cairns below.

^{page 98 note 2} Since published; PRIA, LX (C), (1960), 9–140Google Scholar

^{page 100 note 1} Movius, Irish Stone Age, xxi.

^{page 100 note 2} Information of the location of most of the cairns in Counties Monaghan and Louth is due to the kindness of Mr H. E. Tempest of Dundalk who provided the writer with map references.

^{page 103 note 1} At Ballyedmond and Legland, however, no dry-walling between the gaps was found during excavation.

^{page 105 note 1} Arch. J., LXXXVIII (1931), 75Google Scholar, fig. 1.

^{page 105 note 2} PRIA, LVI (C), (1954). 315.Google Scholar

^{page 105 note 3} The nomenclature adopted here is that proposed by Piggott, , Neolithic Cultures, 170–3Google Scholar.

^{page 107 note 1} PRIA, LVI (C), (1954). 341–3.Google Scholar

^{page 107 note 2} Jope, UJA, XV (1952), 31–60.Google Scholar

^{page 108 note 1} Powell, JRSAI, LXVIII (1938), 268–9.Google Scholar

^{page 112 note 1} PPS, III (1937), 348.Google Scholar

^{page 112 note 2} Survey, XIII–XIV. UJA, VI (1943), 7–23Google Scholar (with Davies).

^{page 112 note 3} Prehistoric Ireland, 94–101, especially 98–101.

^{page 112 note 4} Prehistoric Ireland, 94–101, especially 87.

^{page 112 note 5} First put forward in JRSAI, LXXX (1950), 225Google Scholar, and now in PRIA, LX (C), (1960), 40–8.Google Scholar

^{page 112 note 6} JRSAI, LXXXI (1951), 191Google Scholar ff.

^{page 112 note 7} JRSAI, LXXXI (1951), 192.Google Scholar

^{page 113 note 1} Particularly on Achill. JRSAI, LXXX (1950), 199–227.Google Scholar

^{page 113 note 2} JRSAI, LXIX (1939), 53–98.Google Scholar

^{page 113 note 3} JRSAI, LXXXI (1951), fig. 2.Google Scholar

^{page 113 note 4} JRSAI, LXXXI (1951), fig. 6.Google Scholar

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^{page 114 note 1} Cf. JRSAI, LXIX, 74,Google Scholar fig. 3.

^{page 114 note 2} In conversation with the writer.

^{page 114 note 3} E.g. Creevykeel, the Ballycastle Groups, Malinmore, etc.

^{page 121 note 1} Cf. Piggott, and Powell, ,PSAS, LXXXIII (1948–9), 130.Google Scholar

^{page 122 note 1} PRIA, XXX (C), (1927), 249.Google Scholar

^{page 122 note 2} Cf. Neolithic hearth at Gortcorbies, Co. Derry, UJA, XIII (1950), 28–39.Google Scholar Cremation pit at Killaghy, Co. Armagh, UJA, III (1940), 139–40.Google Scholar Shouldered bowl with leaf-shaped arrowheads and stone axe from Belfast, UJA, III (1940), 152–4.Google Scholar

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^{page 123 note 2} Davies, Island Mac Hugh, 22.

^{page 123 note 3} PRIA, XLIII (C), 37–40,Google Scholar fig. 6, pls. viii and ix.

^{page 123 note 4} PRIA, LII (C), (1949), 117Google Scholar

^{page 123 note 5} Blake Whelan, Lower Bann, 13–14.

^{page 123 note 6} PRIA, LVI (C), (1954), 350–1Google Scholar, fig. 25, nos. 42 and 43.

^{page 123 note 7} UJA, XV (1952), 31–60.Google Scholar

^{page 123 note 8} Evans, Lyles Hill, passim.

^{page 123 note 9} Piggott, Neolithic Cultures, 167.

^{page 123 note 10} Information from Mr E. M. Jope.

^{page 124 note 1} UJA, III (1940), 139–41.Google Scholar

^{page 124 note 2} Gortcorbies ; UJA, XIII (1950), 28–39.Google Scholar

^{page 124 note 3} E.g. Murlough Bay, Co. Antrim : JRSAI, LXVI (1936), 167.Google Scholar Lough Enagh and Island Mac Hugh : UJA, IV (1941), 98.Google Scholar

^{page 124 note 4} Evans, Lyles Hill, 53–4.

^{page 125 note 1} UJA, XV (1952), 36,Google Scholar 40, fig. 2.

^{page 125 note 2} UJA, XV (1952), 51,Google Scholar no. 7b.

^{page 125 note 3} Cf. Piggott, Neolithic Cultures, 285–95.

^{page 125 note 4} PPS, XII (1949), 147–9.Google ScholarPRIA, LVI (C), (1954), 297–459.Google Scholar

^{page 125 note 5} PRIA, XLVIII (C), (1948), 255–72.Google Scholar

^{page 125 note 6} PRIA, LIV (C), (1951–2). 37–74.Google Scholar

^{page 125 note 7} E.g. Rathjordan in (JCHAS, LIII (1948), 28,Google Scholar Knockadoon C, where typical Beaker ornament occurs on Food Vessels (PRIA, LIV (C), (1954), 340–1,Google Scholar fig. 20.)

^{page 125 note 8} Evans, Lyles Hill, 46–9.

^{page 126 note 1} PRIA, XXIX (C), (1912), 323–4,Google Scholar pi. xvii.

^{page 126 note 2} PPS, IV (1938), 239–48.Google Scholar

^{page 126 note 3} PRIA, LV (C), (1952), 61–81.Google ScholarUJA, I (1938), 13, fig. 3Google Scholar

^{page 126 note 4} JRSAI, LXX (1940), 143–63.Google Scholar

^{page 127 note 1} UJA, II (1939), 254–68.Google Scholar

^{page 127 note 2} E.g. Loughash (Giant's Grave) where there was a palstave mould and other bronzes including a razor. (Inst. Arch. Annual Report XII (1956), 29, 56).Google Scholar

^{page 127 note 3} UJA, III (1940), 41–55.Google Scholar

^{page 127 note 4} INJ, VII (1940), 258.Google Scholar

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^{page 128 note 2} Powell, , JRSAI, LXVIII (1938), 260–71.Google Scholar

^{page 128 note 3} O'Kelly, , JCHAS, LXIII (1958), 37–72.Google Scholar

^{page 128 note 4} Eogan, , JRSAI, LXXXVIII (1958), 179–81.Google Scholar

^{page 128 note 5} Traces at Loughash (Giant's Grave).

^{page 130 note 1} Jessen, , PRIA, LII (B), (1948–49), 140–3.Google Scholar

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^{page 130 note 3} Blake-Whelan, Lower Bann, 14.

^{page 130 note 4} Piggott, Neolithic Cultures, 184.

^{page 130 note 5} Davies, Island Mac Hugh, 3–6.

^{page 130 note 6} PRIA, XLVIII (C), (1942–3), 268.Google Scholar

^{page 130 note 7} PRIA, LVI (C), (1953–4), 481-8.Google Scholar

^{page 130 note 8} PRIA, LVI (C), (1953–4), 485.Google Scholar

^{page 130 note 9} Mahr had come to a similar conclusion two decades ago, but did not give his arguments. PPS, III (1937), 343.Google Scholar

^{page 130 note 10} Cf. Davies, , Ant. J., XXVI (1946), 40–4, figs. 1 and 2.Google Scholar

^{page 130 note 11} E.g. Ballyalton.

^{page 131 note 1} PSAS, XXXVI (1901–2), 81, fig. 4.Google Scholar

^{page 131 note 2} PSAS, XLIII (1908–9), 348, fig. 9.Google Scholar

^{page 131 note 3} Piggott, and Powell, , PSAS, LXXXIII (1948–9), 103–44.Google Scholar

^{page 131 note 4} Piggott, Neolithic Cultures, 163.

^{page 131 note 5} Childe, Scotland, 26, map 1.

^{page 131 note 6} PSAS, LXIV (1929–30), 236.Google Scholar

^{page 131 note 7} Arran, Dunan Mor, PSAS, XLIII (1908–9), 350–6.Google Scholar

^{page 131 note 8} Arran, Dunan MorPSAS, XLIII (1908–9), 343–50.Google Scholar

^{page 132 note 1} PSAS, LXXXIII (1948–9), 119.Google Scholar

^{page 132 note 2} PSAS, XXXVI (1901–2), 100, fig. 23.Google Scholar

^{page 132 note 3} E.g. Cairnholy I, op. cit., 127–8.

^{page 132 note 4} PSAS, XLIII (1908–9), 337–41.Google Scholar

^{page 132 note 5} PSAS, LXXXIII (1948–9), 134.Google Scholar

^{page 132 note 6} UJA, I (1938), 187–8Google Scholar : II (1939), 264–5.Google Scholar

^{page 132 note 7} Childe, Scotland, 31.

^{page 133 note 1} Cf. Piggott, Neolithic Cultures, 234–40.

^{page 133 note 2} Cf. Piggott, Neolithic Cultures, 248–51.

^{page 133 note 3} PSAS, LXVI (1931–2), 183–232.Google Scholar

^{page 133 note 4} PSAS, LXIX (1934–5), 480–536.Google Scholar

^{page 133 note 5} PSAS, LXXXII (1950), 1–49.Google Scholar

^{page 133 note 6} Daniel, Megalith Builders, 115–16.

^{page 133 note 7} Lecture at Prehistoric Society Summer Meeting, Bangor, August, 1959.

^{page 133 note 8} Piggott, Neolithic Cultures, 150.

^{page 134 note 1} TLCAS, LIII (1938), 14–31.Google Scholar

^{page 134 note 2} Arch. Camb. (C), (1949), 3–23.Google Scholar

^{page 134 note 3} PPSEA, VII (1932), 91.Google Scholar

^{page 134 note 4} PDNHAS, LXVIII, 30–3.Google Scholar

^{page 134 note 5} Cf. supra, 128.

^{page 134 note 6} Daniel, PCT, 95.

^{page 134 note 7} PPS, II (1936), 119, fig. 10.Google Scholar

^{page 134 note 8} Corcoran, DAJ, LXXV (1956), 91–7, 115–20.Google Scholar

^{page 134 note 9} Daniel, op. cit., 151.

^{page 134 note 10} Ant. J., XVI (1936), 373–95.Google Scholar

^{page 134 note 11} Prehistoric Society Summer Meeting, Bangor, August, 1959.

^{page 134 note 12} Piggott, , PPS, XXI (1955), 99.Google Scholar

^{page 135 note 1} Case, Ant. J., XXXVI (1956), 25–30.Google Scholar

^{page 135 note 2} UJA, XV (1952), 45.Google Scholar

^{page 135 note 3} PRIA, XLIII (C), (1936), 17–40.Google Scholar

^{page 135 note 4} Blake Whelan, Lower Bann, 12–14.

^{page 135 note 5} UJA, IV (1941). 19–21.Google Scholar

^{page 135 note 6} Davies, Island Mac Hugh, 3–6.

^{page 135 note 7} PRIA, XLVIII (C), (1942), 255–72.Google Scholar

^{page 135 note 8} PRIA, LVI (C), (1954). 481–8.Google Scholar

^{page 135 note 9} Ant. J., XV (1935). 284–319.Google Scholar

^{page 135 note 10} PPS, II (1936), 209–10.Google Scholar

^{page 135 note 11} Proc. Liverpool Geo. Soc, XVII (1936), 45–63.Google Scholar

^{page 135 note 12} Piggott, Neolithic Cultures, 375–6, 379–80.

^{page 135 note 13} Piggott, , The New Scientist, 30th 07, 1959, 133.Google Scholar

^{page 135 note 14} Atkinson, Stonehenge, 81–2.

^{page 135 note 15} IMNHAS, IV (1935), 228–31, 235–6.Google Scholar

^{page 135 note 16} Nature, CLXVI (1950), 1068.Google Scholar

^{page 135 note 17} Piggott, op. cit., 296.

^{page 135 note 18} Unpublished.

^{page 136 note 1} While this paper was in the proof stage some C¹⁴ dates for the Irish Neolithic were published which agree with those suggested above. (Watts, , Antiquity, XXXIV (1960), 111–6.)CrossRef Google Scholar

^{page 136 note 2} Piggott, , L'Anthropologie, LVII (1953), 401–43Google Scholar : LVIII (1954), 1–28.Google ScholarPPS, XXI (1955), 99.Google Scholar

^{page 136 note 3} E.g. at Los Eriales, Leisner, Megalithgräber, pl. 49.

^{page 136 note 4} Arch. J., XCV (1938), 144.Google Scholar

^{page 136 note 5} L'Anthropologie, LVIII (1954), 7. 14.Google Scholar

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