Ballynoe Stone Circle

Ballynoe Stone Circle is a complex multi-phase site, meaning its use spans multiple periods of human history [1]. It is believed to be some 5,000 years old dating from the late Neolithic (around 3000 BC) into the Early Bronze Age [1]. The Ballynoe stone circle is located near the village of Ballynoe, County Down, in Northern Ireland [1]. The circle measures around 35 m in diameter and includes 50 or more small, upright stones, with a maximum height of 1.8 m [1]. The excavation was conducted between 20 - 27 September 1937 and 7 - 16 June 1938 by Professor Albert Giffen, a Dutch archaeologist, and Miss Mary McMurray Gaffikin, an archaeology expert from Newcastle, County Down [1]. The excavation uncovered a partially curbed long cairn 21 metres in length by 9 metres wide within the stone circle [1]. There were cists at both the east and west ends with the west end later augmented with two more chambers [1].