County: Tyrone Site name: CREGGANDEVESKY
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: C. Foley, Dept. of the Environment
Site type: Megalithic tomb - court Tomb
Period/Dating: Neolithic (4000BC-2501 BC)
ITM: E 664238m, N 874996m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.619110, -7.005392
This site, situated at the eastern head of a westward facing valley at over 700 ft OD, appeared before excavation as an oval cairn orientated NW-SE. It was much obscured by bog and heather and only three structural stones were visible which later proved to be two kerb stones and the entrance lintel. The excavation was prompted by a threat to remove the site in an agricultural reclamation scheme.
When cleared of heather and bog an oval cairn 22m x 17m was revealed. This was 2m high and some granite corbels lay along the supposed line of the gallery. The oval shape was entirely due to outward collapse and when these displaced stones were removed, a dry stone revetted trapezoidal cairn was revealed with a half court at the S.E. end and a burial gallery divided into three chambers. This cairn measures 13m across the front end and 6.5m across the back and is 18m in length. The back chamber was partially excavated this season and although roof collapse sealed the floor (covering a fine leaf-shaped arrowhead), the back-stone and one side stone had been robbed at some time before the growth of bog. Neolithic pottery and some cremated bone were found high up in a collapse in the court area around the entrance lintel. Animal burrowing is thought to be the most likely explanation. A relatively modern metal trap was found in a space under the lintel to support this theory
It is intended to completely excavate this cairn and a reasonable margin of ground all around it. Some flint scrapers and waste flakes have already been recovered from the old ground surface at the rear of the tomb.
