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Mound is a raised rath or uncertain mound located in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The monument sits upon bedrock composed of Palaeogene extrusive rocks—mafic lavas and tuffs formed during intense volcanic activity in the Paleogene period. This geological foundation, typical of the Antrim plateau's distinctive basaltic landscape, would have presented particular challenges and opportunities to those who constructed and used the mound during the early medieval period.
The site's uncertain classification as a raised rath reflects the incomplete archaeological understanding of this monument type. Raths, or ringforts, were common domestic and defensive settlements in Ireland from the Iron Age through the medieval period, typically comprising an earthen or stone-built circular enclosure. Raised examples, where the interior ground level is elevated above the surrounding terrain, represent a specific regional variation, often associated with improved drainage or defensive positioning.
The monument is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 3570, recognising its archaeological and historical significance within the broader pattern of early medieval settlement in Ulster. The mound's survival in the modern landscape, despite centuries of agricultural use typical of Antrim's productive farmland, contributes to understanding local settlement patterns and land use across this volcanically formed terrain.
Mound - raised rath? is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 3570. View the official record →
Mound is a raised rath or uncertain mound located in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 3570.
Mound - raised rath? dates from the uncertain period, and is classified as a mound. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Mound - raised rath? 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 3570.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bivallate rath (7.8 km), Conjoined raths (8 km), Trivallate rath (8.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Mound - raised rath?'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.
Mound - raised rath? stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.