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This stone circle is the largest circle on Knockadoon with a diameter of 31 meters. It was excavated by Ríordáin and remains unpublished. Consisting of two concentric rings of stones, the ring most likely had a wooden gate entrance and encircled a rectangular building now designated by postholes. The gate indicates that the two rings were only part of the original structure, hinting that perhaps the circle was not ritualistic but rather an early domestic ring-fort. Eight burials were also found at this location (O’Kelly 1985; 20). Other sites on Knockadoon, including this one, were enclosed by low walls. These structures were generally too short to provide much protection, but may have been used for raising domesticated animals (Waddell 1998).

The settlement at Knockadoon is a reflection of the changes taking place throughout Ireland during the Neolithic period. Small farmsteads such as those at Knockadoon were developing and the domestication of plants and animals was closely tied to economics. The traces of Beaker pottery found at most sites indicate a stable and at least semi-sedentary lifestyle, and changing pottery styles indicate a receptive atmosphere to outside powers (O’Kelly 1985; 22). A combination of sedentism and mobility may have existed, however, as the Knockadoon settlement indicates that both hunting and gathering as well as crop cultivation and stock-rearing took place simultaneously. The property ideas that would be tied to permanent settlements were also growing at this time, indicating increased social complexity. The individual burials located at many of the sites also point to a movement away from megalithic communal burials.

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Monasootha

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