Meehambee Dolmen

The Meehambee Dolmen is a megalithic portal tomb dating from about 3500 BC located in County Roscommon, Ireland.

Meehambee Dolmen
Locationnear Drum and Athlone
RegionCounty Roscommon, Ireland
Coordinates53°24′43″N 8°1′11″W
TypeDolmen

Two local schoolchildren unearthed two stone axes in the 1960s.

Originally supported on 6 upright portals, 2.3 metres high, the capstone is estimated to weigh twenty-four tonnes. The portal stone supporting the back of the capstone has collapsed, allowing the capstone to slide backwards out of position, causing the doorstone to collapse also. The capstone now rests at a 45-degree angle

It is thought that these tombs, of which over 1,200 have been identified in Ireland, were either the burial place of a single important king or chieftain or perhaps the tombs of several members of a tribe who inhabited the area in the Neolithic era.

It was known locally as Leabaidh Éirn in the 1930s.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.