quoits–cornish portal dolmen

Trevethy Quoit – Portal Dolmen. trethevy quoit was originally covered by a mound. known locally as ‘the giant’s house’. the remnants of this suggest a diameter of 6.5 metres. the remaining six stones (originally 7) and the 3.7 m long and 10.5-ton cover slab were inside the mound.  the group of horizontal stones is composed of a fallen back wall, two side wall stones, which overlap, a front stone and a somewhat remote flanking stone. the special feature of cornish portal graves is that by such stones sometimes a smaller partially closed area is created before the front end. a small rectangular opening has been cut into the lower right edge of the front closure stone, permitting access to the burial chamber. at the upper end of the capstone is a natural hole, which pierces the stones highest point and may have been used for astronomical alignment. some of the other stones have also been carved or perforated. the fallen rear stone has five cupmark-like hollows in its upper surface. the  has a natural hole.  the left flanking stone at trethevy has two deep modern drill holes. the stones at trethevy are surrounded by the remains of a mound, which it is though covered the lower part of the stones – acting as a ramp to aid access to the chamber during burials.