© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
Coveknows barrow is a prehistoric burial monument located in Newtownabbey, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The barrow sits upon bedrock composed of Palaeogene extrusive rocks—mafic lavas and tuffs formed during volcanic activity in the Paleogene period, some 66 to 23 million years ago. This geological foundation of ancient igneous material provides a stark contrast to the later prehistoric mound constructed atop it, representing layers of human activity spanning tens of millions of years.
As a barrow, the monument belongs to a widespread tradition of burial practice spanning the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods in the British Isles. Such earthen mounds served as communal or individual sepulchres, often marking territories and commemorating the dead within the landscape. The construction of such monuments required considerable labour and community investment, indicating the social significance of those interred within.
Coveknows barrow is recognised and protected by the Historic Environment Division of the Department for Communities, Northern Ireland, under reference 3651. This designation ensures the preservation of this important archaeological site, which contributes to our understanding of prehistoric settlement patterns and burial practices in the north-eastern portion of the island of Ireland.
Coveknows. barrow is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 3651. View the official record →
Coveknows barrow is a prehistoric burial monument located in Newtownabbey, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 3651.
Coveknows. barrow dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a barrow. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Coveknows. barrow is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Ni. The official designation reference is 3651.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Monkstown abbey, monketone, ballynamanagh, monkstown church, monkstown cemetery. medieval & post-med. church & graveyard with hollowed stone (3.8 km), Bivallate rath (4.3 km), Dunanney fort, nancy's fort. raised rath (6.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Coveknows. barrow's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Coveknows. barrow stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.