EAB11868 - Excavation - NINE STANES STONE CIRCLE, GARROL WOOD

The name of the stone circle was given in 1904 when the site was excavated (it refers to the nine remaining stones including the flankers but not the recumbent). When F.R. Coles of the National Museum excavated the site in 1904 he spent twelve days with some of the landowner's workmen clearing the undergrowth and turning over the loose stones. In making a plan of all the visible features before work began, dividing the circle into sections and sieving soil that was trowelled out of the central space he exercised more care than most of his fellow archaeologists of the time. Excluding the recumbent stone and its pillars, Coles' plan shows there to be seven stones and the position of the presumably missing eighth stone. Between all these and curving into each pillar was a double row of smallish earthfast stones. The whole area within the circle was extremely stony and was doubtless a low cairn. At the centre of the circle he found a funnel-shaped pit formed of six slabs with one missing, full of burnt bone. To the North of the pit was charcoal and urn fragments. Bone was also found in four other spots around the pit. Between these and the outmost ring were three rings of stones.