County Cork
Maughanasilly—-from Macha na Saili (the Milking Place of the Willows)
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This monument, on a northern slope of Knockbreteen mountain, is a row of five standing stones erected in the Middle Bronze Age (1600-1400BC).
Excavation in 1977 revealed some evidence of prehistoric activity—several shallow pits and two furrows had been cut into the sub-soil, and quartz pebbles had been scattered around the base of the stones. Two small flint scrapers were also found. This stone row was probably used for long-forgotten rituals and ceremonies, some of which must have involved observations of the moon—the stones were deliberately aligned with that part of the horizon to the north-east which marks the most northerly point at which the moon rises during its 18.6 year cycle.
Bronze Age peoples farmed in the valley below, but not long after the construction of the Maughanasilly stone row, the land became degraded, peat began to grow, and the valley was abandoned
Sa Chre-umhaois Mhednach (1600-1400 R.Ch.) a togadh an line chuig ghalldn seo ar shleasa thuaidh Chnoc Breitin.
Leirigh tochailti a rinneadh i 1977 roinnt gniomhaiochta reamhstairiula—bhi roinnt poll eadoimhne agus dais gearrtha isteach san fho-ithir, agus scaipeadh puroga breochloiche timpeall ar bhun na gcloch. Fuarthas dhd scriobaire bheaga breochloiche freisin. Is docha gur usdideadh an line chloch seo le haghaidh deasghndtha agus searmanas atd ligthe i ndearmad le fada. D'fheadfadh se gur bhain cuid acule breathnu na gealai—ailiniodh na-clocha leis an gcuid sin d'ior na speire, san oirthuaisceart, is faide 6 thuaidh a n-eirionn an ghealach ann i gcaitheamh a timthriall 18.6 bliain.
Bhiodh na daoine Cre-umhaoiseacha ag feirmeoireacht thios sa ghleann, ach thosaigh an talamh ag meath go gairid tar eis thogdil na sraithe cloch, thosaigh an mhoin ag fas, agus treigeadh an gleann |
