Gaulstown Portal Tomb

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Gaulstown Portal Tomb
Gaulstown Dolmen IMG 4683.jpg
Gaulstown Portal Tomb is located in Ireland
Gaulstown Portal Tomb
Shown within Ireland
Location Gaulstown, County Waterford
Region Ireland
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Type Portal tomb
History
Periods Neolithic
Site notes
Public access Yes
Reference no. 398[1]

The Gaulstown Portal Tomb or Gaulstown Dolmen is a megalithic portal tomb situated in Gaulstown, in County Waterford, Ireland. It lies about 7 km south west of Waterford city.[2]

Location

The tomb is named for the townsland in which it situated, Gaulstown, and sits at the foot of "Cnoc an Chaillighe" or "The Hill of the Hag".[3]

Features

The portal tomb most likely dates from around 3500 BC, and is considered one of the finest examples of portal tombs in the region,[2] and was first recorded by George Victor Du Noyer in 1864.[4] The tomb faces south east into the hillside, and consists of two east-facing portal stones which are 2.4 metres high, with a door stone between and a chamber consisting of three other upright stones. All of these support a rectangular capstone, which is 4.2 metres in length, and 1 metre deep. The tomb has been undergone maintenance in the past, with a concrete support added inside the chamber. There is evidence that some of the upright stones may have moved over time, as the shape of the chamber has been impacted.[3] It is likely that the structure was once enclosed by a mound or cairn, which has since been removed or eroded away.[5]

See also

References

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  2. 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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External links

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