County: Derry Site name: TAMNYRANKIN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: L.N.W. Flanagan, UM
Site type: Megalithic tombs - court tombs
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 683333m, N 910288m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.933336, -6.699671
The cairn measures a maximum of 28 x 14m, with a ‘Ballyalton’ type horned structure at its wider E end. At the W end is an apparent gallery grave of ‘Kilhoyle-Boveil’ type, with a small ante-chamber and long gallery, and excavation was limited to this.
The gallery was subdivided into two chambers, with a total length of 8m. The end stone and front stone of the ante-chamber constituted part of the kerb, or peristalith, which surrounded the cairn and ran parallel to the internal grave wall on the W side.
Finds included decorated and undecorated shouldered Neolithic bowls and Bronze Age food vessels, a leaf-shaped arrowhead, slug knife and hollow and end scrapers. A quantity of cremated bone was uncovered.
