Parknabinnia Wedge Tomb

On a gentle SW-facing slope in rough pasture and exposed limestone pavement near the top of Roughan Hill, offering wide views from SE-SW-NW. Indicated as a circular feature and labelled ‘Carn’ on the first edition (1842) of the OS 6-inch map. Marked as a smaller cairn on the OS 25-inch plan (1897) and the Cassini edition (1920) of the OS 6-inch map, with the label ‘Cromlech & Carn’ on the latter. Westropp (1906-1907, 453) noted that the cairn covering the tomb chamber was removed some time after 1839. Described by de Valera and Ó Nualláin (1961, 55) as a very well-preserved wedge tomb (int. dims. L 2.3m SW-NE; Wth 1.6m at SW, 1.3m at NE; av. H 1.25m) in the centre of a grass-covered circular mound (av. diam. 16m; est. H c. 0.5m), the stones of which were visible to the N and W of the tomb, and they considered a pile of stones and earth still on top of the in situ capstone to be a remnant of the cairn. The NE-SW orientated wedge tomb comprises a NW sidestone (L 4.3m; H 1.2m at SW, 0.9m at NE; T 0.2-0.25m) and SE sidestone (L 3.55m; H 1.3m at SW, 1.1m at NE; T 0.15-0.25m), both dressed on their top edges which slope evenly from SW to NE. The NE backstone (L 1.2m; H 1.2m; T 0.15m) has worked side and top edges, and fits closely against the sidestones and capstone. Two slabs mostly block the SW end of the tomb. One of these blocking stones (L 1.35m; H 1.35m; T 0.1m) at the W neatly abuts the NW sidestone and has a straight dressed edge on this side and at its top, which reaches roof level (ibid.). This blocking stone extends more than halfway across the chamber entrance. Overlapping this slab for 0.5m at its base is the W blocking stone (L 0.85m; H 1m; T 0.1-0.2m) which extends across the chamber entrance from the SE sidestone and leans outwards. The large, irregular-shaped capstone (L 3.15m; Wth 2.7m at SW, 1.8m at NE; T 0.15-0.25m) rests on the backstone, the NW sidestone and the W blocking stone, and slopes from SW to NE (ibid.). Its SE edge is almost flush with the outer face of the sidestone below, while its NW side overhangs up to 0.75m beyond the NW sidestone. De Valera and Ó Nualláin (ibid.) found the chamber floor covered with small stone debris.

In 2017, the interior of the chamber and part of the surrounding cairn were excavated (Ó Maoldúin 2022). The chamber was found to contain the semi-articulated skeletal remains of at least one adult, additional fragments of disturbed unburnt and burnt human bone, animal bone, firespots, clay pipe fragments, a post-medieval iron splitting wedge and modern detritus. Removal of sod surrounding the tomb revealed traces of the circular stone cairn (diam. c. 13m) the best preserved portion (W of the tomb) comprising stones ‘laid in a radial pattern or widening concentric circles’, many of which were laid on edge leaning toward the tomb chamber (ibid.). Several large kerbstones (max. L 1.4m) were laid flat around the cairn’s edge. The cairn was not fully excavated but in areas of previous disturbance, sections were excavated to bedrock. In these locations, human and animal bone, a chert arrowhead, chert debitage and tools, an Iron Age glass bead, a medieval copper-alloy pin, iron pieces, oyster shell and clay pipe were found. A crouched inhumation burial, probably male and 25-30 years old and radiocarbon-dated to 5th–3rd century BC, was discovered c. 2m E of the tomb chamber. Perimortem stab marks on its ribs suggest that this ‘person suffered a violent death’ (ibid.). A concentration of disarticulated human bone was found against the outer face of the SE sidestone. A lone human tooth was recovered outside the front (i.e., SW) of the tomb. A human mandible and several teeth were found under the SW edge of the cairn. A possible cremation deposit was identified in the SW quadrant of the cairn.