Glossary Of Archaeological Terms

Backstone – (megalithic tombs) a stone forming the end of a chamber or gallery

Barrow -  An earthen constructed circular burial site

Bronze Age – Period from around 2400 to 600 BC

Bullaun – A round hollowed- out basin in the surface of a stone

Capstone – (megalithic tombs) A large horizontal roofing slab

Cairn – A pile of stones (usually large in size) covering a burial

Causeway – A raised path across a Fosse (ditch) used in association with enclosures

Cist – A Bronze Age single burial grave lined with stone slabs

Conglomerate - A rock that has pieces of other rocks cemented together to form one larger chunk.

Court - (megalithic tombs) An enclosed space of the galleries of Court Tombs

Cupmark – A simple rock carving consisting of a circular cup shaped pit

Dolmen – Large stones forming a burial chamber, also known as Portal Tomb

Fosse – A ditch or moat surrounding a defended enclosed area

Fulacht Fiadh - A Prehistoric cooking site

Gallery - A compartment in a Megalithic tomb in which burials were deposited

Henge - Circular or oval eathen area surrounded by a ditch

Inhumation - Burial of unburnt human remains

Iron Age – Period from around 600 BC to AD400

Kerb – A low retaining wall

Lintel – A horizontal stone spanning an opening or passage

Mesolithic - (Middle Stone Age) period from around 7000 - 4000 BC

Midden - A cooking site/refuse dump containing shells, animal bones and other refuse

Monolith – a single Standing Stone

Neolithic – (New Stone Age) – period from around 4000 to 2400 BC

Ogham – Early form of Irish language found inscribed in stones

Orthostat – (megalithic tombs) A large upright support stone

Outlier – A detached portion/stone of a structure

Passage Tomb – A megalithic burial structure with a passage way leading to a chamber

Portal Stones - (megalithic tombs) Jamstones forming the entrance to a Portal Tomb

Promontory Fort - Fortification of landward side of naturally defensive sea promontory

Pygmy Cup - Miniature vessels found at Early Bronze Age burial sites

Souterrain – From French 'sous terrain' – an artificially constructed underground passage

Tumulus – A prehistoric mound or barrow

Wedge Tomb – Wedge shaped burial tomb

Featured

A delightfully situated monument

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Tallest Stone

Waterford's  tallest standing stone is  located 5 km from Tramore. The impressive stone measures 3.7m in height. See it  Here

 Monument Guide

Types of Monument on this website

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 Main website image  

The White Lady, Ballymacaw

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Gaulstown

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 Website last updated 

14 July 2018

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 'Stumbled On'

Check out some recent finds

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Map of Waterford

showing major monuments

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