Carrick East

Carrick East is a small neolithic monument standing in a field near Drumsurn in County Londonderry. It belongs to the townland of Carrick East and lies west of a minor road. The site is one of about 400 known Court Tombs found almost exclusively in Ulster. These tombs date from the Neolithic period and serve as chambered burial places. The tomb has an unusual oval court about 3 metres wide with two chambers on either side. The whole structure measures roughly 10 metres long and 4.5 metres wide. Its largest capstones span 2.5 to 3 metres, supported by uprights up to 1.5 metres high. Archaeologist L. Flanaghan examined 36 Court Tombs in 1998, finding human bones in 23 of them. Only five contained unburnt remains, and Carrick East yielded the intact skeleton of an adult. Visitors reach the monument by walking across a field from the nearby road. The low stone walls mark the oval court and two small chambers. The setting is quiet and rural, with views over gently rolling countryside. The site offers a glimpse of Neolithic burial practices and the careful stonework of its builders.