House - early medieval

The National Monuments Service's description

This house site, identified as 'structure 2', was revealed during the course of research excavations in the W half of the inner enclosure at Dún Aonghasa (GA110-039----). It was defined by a segment of a much-robbed out, mostly double-faced, curving wall foundation in the E/SE sector (C 3.2m); only one course of the walling survived and it was constructed of horizontally laid blocks. A gap (Wth c. 0.5m) marked the location of the doorway, which was largely defaced. The wall (Wth 0.95-1.08m) was best preserved to the N of the gap; to its S only the general wall line could be established. The remaining circuit had been completely robbed out and there was no definite archaeological evidence to indicate its former presence. However, its projected ground plan suggested that it was probably a circular building c. 6m in internal diameter. A possible post-hole was found on the inner side of a jambstone on the N side of the doorway but no trace of a corresponding feature was noted on the opposite side. The internal floor consisted of a number of scatters and concentrations of paving, best preserved in the SE and NW quadrants. A more dispersed scattering survived in the NE quadrant and, apart from one or two possible flagstones, there was no trace of it in the SW quadrant. No horizontal stratigraphy was evident in the deposits overlying the paving as this horizon had been disturbed. Fragments of eroded animal bone and some abraded pottery were recovered but could not be reliably contexted. The remains of a curved flagged pathway (L 2.6m; Wth 0.52m) were traced outside the S limits of the house. Its trajectory indicated that it would have continued to the doorway (Cotter vol. 1, 307-14). Cotter (ibid., vol. 2, 289) concluded that the size of this house, its associated features and its proximity to the wall chamber in the inner enclosing wall, suggested that it dated to the early medieval period.

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.