Hut site

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, located on a terrace on the S-facing slope of Twomilestone ridge. This hut site was excavated by Davies (1942, 98-105). It is one of several hut sites (see also DG103-057005-; DG103-058----; DG103-059----; DG107-004003-) he found on the S slope of the ridge. He designated it as ‘hut g’ and described it as ‘a roughly rectangular chamber partly sunk in the rock, with a pair of low jambs leading to a paved entrance passage.’ It was enclosed by a slumped bank of earth and stone, internally faced in parts with upright slabs. At north, the stone bank backed onto an E−W field wall. Large, low slabs faced the partly cobbled entrance passage which extended to S. Sherds of decorated hard, coarse, black pottery, a flint scarper, an iron nail and charcoal fragments were found in a layer of brown soil that filled the interior. Also recovered were some wheat and barley grains, hazelnut shell, and fragments of burnt bone. A charcoal-rich layer of yellow-brown soil, which also included burnt bone, and grains of barley and rye, underlay the enclosing bank, and Davies interpreted this as evidence that the site was inhabited for some time prior to the construction of the hut. The hut site was still clearly visible in the early 1980’s when it was recorded Lacy et al. (1983, 154, no. 924): ‘A second excavated hut site situated W of (DG103-057005-) above. Rectangular in floor plan, 3.1m × 4.05m, with an entry and passageway to the S c. 3.8m in length. Foundations are earth/stone walls surviving to a height of .6m. Finds included bone, pottery and flint. (Davies site G).’ An inspection in 2015 found that the outline of the hut site is no longer clearly defined. A subrectangular area of stony, disturbed ground and differential vegetation growth is visible, backed at N by remnants of the E−W field wall, evident as a low linear grass-covered undulation.

Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 5 September 2016

References

Davies, O. 1942 The Twomile stone, a prehistoric community in County Donegal. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 72, 98-105.

Lacy, B. with Cody, E., Cotter, C., Cuppage, J., Dunne, N., Hurley, V., O'Rahilly, C., Walsh, P. and Ó Nualláin, S. 1983 Archaeological Survey of County Donegal. A description of the field antiquities of the County from the Mesolithic Period to the 17th century A.D. Lifford. Donegal County Council.