Bohonagh facts for kids
Bohonagh is an ancient stone circle found about 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles) east of Rosscarbery in County Cork, Ireland. This special place is believed to be from the Bronze Age, a time long ago when people used bronze tools. Near the stone circle, there is also a large "boulder burial."
What Makes Bohonagh Special?
The Bohonagh stone circle once had 13 stones arranged in a large circle, about 9 meters (30 feet) across. Today, four of these stones are missing. Three others were put back upright after archaeologists studied the site.
Two very tall stones, called portal stones, stand at one side. They are about 2.4 meters (8 feet) high! These are some of the tallest stones found in any Irish stone circle. They line up with a large stone on the west side. This line points to where the sun sets during the equinoxes. An equinox is when day and night are almost equal in length, happening twice a year. Many of the stones at Bohonagh contain shiny quartz, and small pieces of quartz are scattered around the circle.
About 20 meters (65 feet) east of the stone circle, you'll find a boulder burial. This is a huge capstone, weighing almost 20 tons, resting on smaller support stones. On its top surface, there are seven or more small cup-marks. These are tiny, carved hollows that look like little cups. Two of the support stones are also made of quartz. There's another loose stone nearby with more cup-marks. This whole area, including a wooden house that was once excavated, dates back to the Bronze Age.
Discoveries from Excavations
In 1959, archaeologists carefully dug up parts of the Bohonagh site. They found a central pit containing charcoal and cremated bone. This tells us more about how people lived and what they did in this area thousands of years ago.
