Habitation site

The National Monuments Service's description

Identified as F1216 - this linear bedrock hollow (7.2m N-S; Wth 0.5-0.8m) was the southernmost example in a series of three (see also GA110-029002- and GA110-039003-) exposed along the W side of the inner enclosure of Dún Aonghasa (GA110-039----). It faded out gradually towards the cliff face to the S but towards its N end it angled westwards to run in under the phase 1 wall of the enclosure at a depth of 1.3m below the foundations of the wall terrace. The hollow was filled with occupation material and the primary deposit (D 0.04-0.18m) associated with it consisted of a compact layer of dark brown charcoal-flecked clay, which contained dispersed animal bone, limpet and periwinkle shells. Finds included pottery, fragments of bone pins, a fragment of pumice and a hammerstone. A sample of animal bone yielded a radiocarbon date of 910-800 cal. BC. No structures were evident. However, two small spreads of paving in overlying layers suggested that there might have been a house in this area. A hoard of four hollow bronze rings with lateral buffers was found in the SW area of this hollow (Cotter 2012, vol. 1, 322-5).

Compiled by: Olive Alcock

Date of upload: 22 June 2020

References

Cotter, C. 2012 The western stone forts project. Excavations at Dún Aonghasa and Dún Eoghanachta. 2 vols. Dublin. Wordwell Ltd.