Reader Diana writes in:...the rocks are in Ireland in Co Sligo. They are located in the middle of a woods that was planted fro commercial use and were discovered during felling operations. They vary in size and shape as you can see from the attached pictures and some are in very close proximity.They are in a few fields in the corner of a townland just beside an old farmhouse that possibly dates fromt the early 1800's. Its a relatively undisturbed area as the woods makes it quite difficult for walking as does the terrain which is in the middle of a glacial valley so there would have been numerous rock deposits around.
I've no problem with you publishin the pictures. Might even give us some answers. They arent the best quality because the lightin was very poor and with the trees you caould only get individual close ups as opposed to a picture of the whole scene.
I'd be grateful of any suggestions or any similiar structures you've come across and their potential purpose.
Pretty awesome. Someone sure knew how to do dry stone contruction.
ReplyDeleteAnother comment: nothing like that would last long over here in the woods.
ReplyDeleteWell, the first photo makes me think of the stone piles in Vermont, but I don't buy Fell's theory of a Celtic invasion. As for the other piles, the small size of the trees implies that they were constructed in a once open area. Also, inuksuit-like stone piles are found all along the northern hemisphere, from Russian Lapland to northern Canada, and seeing similar structures in Ireland makes sense.
ReplyDeleteJames: about your #8, I would like to propose: rock piles to mark a line of sight. Also what about effigies?
ReplyDeleteLook carefully at the third picture. Do you see that little pile on the right? In my opinion, it is too delicate to be ancient. That upper rock looks like it would shift in high wind.
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