Archaeologists Uncover Rare Twin Neolithic Tombs in County Galway, Including Unique Amethyst Pendant
A team of archaeologists from the University of Galway has made one of the most significant prehistoric discoveries in Ireland in recent years, unearthing a previously unknown portal tomb and rediscovering a long-lost court tomb at a site in Prospecthill, Maree, County Galway. The find — the only known location in Ireland where both types of Neolithic monument stand side by side — has yielded an amethyst pendant that researchers describe as entirely without precedent in Irish megalithic archaeology.
Background
The excavation forms part of the University of Galway's "Maree — Land Use Through Time" research project, a long-running investigation into human habitation and landscape use in the Maree and Oranmore area of east Galway. The project, supported by the Royal Irish Academy and the Discovery Programme, has been examining how communities lived, farmed, and buried their dead in this part of Connacht over thousands of years.
The site at Prospecthill had been known to local historians for generations, but the full extent of its archaeological significance had never been established. The court tomb — a type of communal burial monument associated with Ireland's earliest farming communities, dating to approximately 4,000 BCE — was thought to have been largely destroyed by centuries of agricultural activity. The portal tomb, a more intimate burial structure typically associated with individual or small-group interments, was entirely unknown before this summer's excavation.
Led by Dr Michelle Comber and Dr Noel McCarthy, the team began work at the site in June 2026, with the most significant discoveries emerging over the past several weeks. The excavation is hosted by the Burke family, who farm the land at Prospecthill.
Key Developments
The portal tomb, the more dramatic of the two discoveries, features a massive capstone measuring nearly four metres in length and one metre in depth, with an estimated weight of 14 tonnes. The monument was constructed within a large bedrock pit — an unusual engineering choice that contributed to the exceptional preservation of the original burial deposits beneath. Cremated human remains, prehistoric pottery, and stone tools were recovered from within the structure.
The court tomb, measuring approximately 30 metres in length, is one of the largest examples of its type recorded in Ireland. Researchers believe the two monuments served complementary functions: the court tomb as a space for communal ritual and ceremony, the portal tomb as a more focused burial site. The fact that both stand together at Prospecthill suggests a sophisticated understanding of sacred space among the Neolithic communities who built them.
The amethyst pendant recovered from the portal tomb is the find that has most excited the archaeological community. While quartz beads have been documented at other megalithic sites across Ireland, an amethyst pendant of this nature is, according to Dr Comber, "unknown elsewhere in the Irish megalithic record." The pendant's presence raises intriguing questions about trade networks and the movement of precious materials in prehistoric Ireland.
Why It Matters
Ireland's megalithic heritage is among the richest in Europe, encompassing sites from the great passage tombs of the Boyne Valley to the court cairns of Connacht and Ulster. But discoveries of this significance — a genuinely new monument type at a known site, combined with an artefact without parallel — are rare. The Prospecthill find adds meaningfully to the understanding of how Neolithic communities in the west of Ireland organised their spiritual and social lives.
The dual-monument configuration is particularly significant. Elsewhere in Ireland and Britain, court tombs and portal tombs are found in the same general landscapes but rarely in such close proximity. The Prospecthill site suggests that the communities who built these structures were making deliberate choices about the relationship between different types of sacred space — a level of architectural and ritual sophistication that challenges older assumptions about the simplicity of prehistoric Irish society.
The amethyst pendant, meanwhile, points to connections that extended well beyond the immediate locality. Amethyst is not native to County Galway, and its presence at a Neolithic burial site implies either long-distance trade or the movement of people carrying precious objects across considerable distances.
Local Impact
The discovery has generated significant excitement in the Maree and Oranmore area, with local schools and community groups expressing interest in visiting the site once the excavation phase is complete. The University of Galway has indicated that it will work with the National Monuments Service and the local community to develop appropriate public access arrangements. Galway Bay FM and local media have covered the story extensively, and the find has drawn attention from archaeologists across Europe. The Burke family, on whose land the tombs stand, have been described by the research team as enthusiastic and generous hosts throughout the excavation process.
What's Next
The excavation at Prospecthill is expected to continue through August 2026, with the team focusing on further investigation of the court tomb's outer chambers and the surrounding landscape. Laboratory analysis of the cremated remains, pottery, and the amethyst pendant will take place over the following months, with initial findings expected to be published in a peer-reviewed journal in early 2027. The University of Galway has confirmed that a public lecture on the discoveries will be held in Galway city in the autumn, open to all members of the community.
