Wedge-shaped gallery grave
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A wedge-shaped gallery grave or wedge tomb is a type of Irish chamber tomb. They are so named because the burial chamber itself narrows at one end (usually decreasing both in height and width from west to east), producing a wedge shape in plan. An antechamber is separated from the burial area by a simple jamb or sill, and the doorway generally faces west. [1]
A distinguishing characteristic of wedge tombs is the double-walling of the gallery. They were often covered by cairns, which could be round, oval or D-shaped, often with a kerb to revet it. More are low sized, usually about 1.5 meters high, and are generally found on mountain sides, about three-quarters the way up.
Wedge tombs were built between the Irish late Neolithic and middle Bronze Ages (about 2500 to 2000BC). Today, between 500 and 550 known wedge tombs survive [2] in Ireland, and are found predominantly in the west and north west of the island.
[edit] References
- ^ BBC History (2004). Irish Neolithic Tombs. Retrieved on 2006-09-06.
- ^ iol.ie. A Brief Guide To Irish Archaeological Sites. Retrieved on 2006-08-26.
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