Glen Henge
Donegal Democrat, 31 August 2007
Advanced surveying techniques may show a complex of pre-historic structures beneath the Earth in the heart of the historic valley of Glencolmcille, including the remains of a prehistoric henge which could rival the famous Beltany stone circle in size, a scientific expert has said.
|
The dramatic revelation was made by archaeological geophysicist Kevin Barton at Foras Cultúr Uladh, as he outlined the findings from a preliminary geophysical survey of lands near St Columba's Church of Ireland carried out earlier this year.
Geophysical surveys are sophisticated high-technology surveying techniques which allow archaeologists to survey ancient remains buried underground, without disturbing the earth.
While no trace remains of ancient structures above the ground, magnetic imaging techniques reveal distortions below the surface which provided vital evidence about the past in Gleann Cholm Cille.
Kevin Barton, who earlier this year carried out the geophysical survey in the centre of the valley, told the assembled audience that the data analysed to date showed that two enclosures had been built in the area to the north-east of the church.
One of the structures, a circular enclosure, appeared to be the remains of a ringfort, but without further research to allow accurate dating, it could have existed at any time from pre-Christian times to the medieval era.
The second enclosure appears to consist of a ditch and a double row of post pits.
This enclosure was 'possibly a monument called a henge', Barton said, and if so, it would be 'much older than an early Christian monastic enclosure.'
'If it is a henge, and the jury is still out on that, that's a very old architectural feature,' Barton added.
'A henge monument would be quite unusual in this area, so that's quite exciting,' he added.
'What you're talking about is a ritual site, a pagan ritual site.'
|
The structure is between 30 and 40 metres in diameter, Barton explained, 'about the size of Beltany stone circle.'
The Stone Circle at Beltany, just outside Raphoe, built between 4000 and 6000 years ago, recalls the Celtic springtime festival of Bealtaine.
Introducing Barton's findings, project manager Seamus McGinley said that quartz flakes discovered last year in Straleel by Ms Catriona Gallagher showed that there was human activity in the area over one thousand years before farming began, in the hunter-gatherer era.
The first farmers in the area built the impressive court cairn monuments found throughout the area, and the quartz tools showed how much archaeological work remained to be done in the area, he said.
Barton also said that the preliminary survey indicated that a souterrain, an underground chamber in the church of Ireland graveyard, extended past the graveyard walls into the neighbouring field.
Souterrains were often connected with ringforts, he said, through it was not known if they were used as hiding places or for storage.
The initial survey carried out in Spring of this year is phase one of a three year project commissioned by Oideas Gael and funded by the Heritage Council and managed by Seamus McGinley of Carrick to look for an early Christian monastic or historical settlement in the centre of the valley.