Ancient stone chamber unearthed in garden

Derry Journal ^ | Friday, August 15, 2008 | Staff reporter

[SunkenCiv]

Discovered by Clonmany man Sean Devlin, the previously unrecorded structure appears to be an underground tunnel or souterrain.

Mr Devlin revealed yesterday that he first discovered the underground chamber several years ago while landscaping his front garden, but didn't make much of a fuss about his amazing find at the time. The historic significance of the tunnel only became apparent recently after Mr Devlin showed it to amateur archaeologist friends...

Souterrains are underground man-made drystone built structures roofed with large lintels, comprising of one or more chambers linked by tunnels called creepways. Their entrance is concealed at ground level. They are usually found in locations near to ringforts, cashels and early ecclesiastical sites. Interestingly, Clonmany means 'the meadow of the monks'...

Derry man and long time amateur archaeologist Eddie Harkin, who visited and examined this fascinating structure with colleagues Tommy Gallagher and Brian MacNeachtain, confirmed that it has at least three chambers with a creepway linking each one.

In one chamber Mr Harkin says there is a quantity of bones - which may or may not be human - deposited in niches along one side of the souterrain wall. He also found part of a quern stone as well as a quantity of shells.

According to Mr Harkin, archaeologists believe that sounterrains were used as places of refuge, as many of them have defensive features such as low set lintels built into their roofs. They may have also been used for storing food. Indeed, it is possible that this souterrain continues and may be connected to the sixth century monastic site across the road.

[SunkenCiv]

Clonmany Waterfall

[SunkenCiv]

http://www.clonmany.com/

[SunkenCiv]

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[SatinDoll]

Yep, never knew when those crazed Vikings would show up. A bolt hole was a good idea.

[Royal Wulff]

A member of his local heritage group, Mr Devlin says he is delighted to have discovered this ancient monument in his garden

I suspect fraud.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

I had to look this up.

Quern-stones are a pair of stone tools for hand
grinding a wide variety of materials.
The lower, stationary, stone is called a quern,
whilst the upper, mobile, stone is called a handstone.

[Tainan]

Ya know...sometimes a guy just needs a place to get away from the wife and kids. Kick back, have beverage and just relax. Maybe cook some meat on the fire, chew a bone. Its a ‘Guy Thing.’

[Lee'sGhost]

Man cave!

[SunkenCiv]

Around here, if we had structures of that kind, they’d all be in use as meth labs. ;’D [hat tip to Dave Attell]

[Salamander]

I have a very small ‘complete set’ I found on the ridge above my house.
[since I live in “Indian Springs” I suppose it’s not hard to guess their origins]

I just called them a grindstone and considered them to be a sort of mortar and pestle.
It’s rather small so it may have been for herbs or paints.
The round grinding “ball” is about the size of a tennis ball and the ‘bowl’ is about 10 inches around.

Thanks for telling me what they’re actually called...:)

[DieHard the Hunter]

I wish I could find something cool like that in my back yard!