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Rath and souterrain is an Early Christian ringfort and underground chamber located in Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The site comprises a circular earthwork with an associated souterrain, a stone-built subterranean passage typical of Iron Age and Early Christian settlement complexes in Ireland. Such ringforts served as defended farmsteads and status symbols for the local elite during the Early Christian period, whilst souterrains may have functioned for storage, refuge, or ritual purposes. The monument represents an important example of Early Christian settlement archaeology in the north-east of Ireland and demonstrates the continuity of ringfort construction into the Christian era.
Rath and souterrain is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 2639. View the official record →
Rath and souterrain is an Early Christian ringfort and underground chamber located in Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 2639.
Rath and souterrain dates from the e.christ. period, and is classified as a rath & souterrain. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Rath and souterrain 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 2639.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Kells abbey, de diserto forte conneri, deserto corie, templemoyle, desert of connor, abbey of kellis, ecclesia beatae mariae de desarto. augustinian abbey (2.3 km), See of dal riata, st. saviour's. monastery, church, cathedral, graveyard & cross (2.8 km), Trench. revetted mound & boundary ditch (3 km).
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