House - early medieval

The National Monuments Service's description

This is one of four possible house sites (see also GA110-039022-, GA110-039023- and GA110-039024-) that were uncovered during the course of excavations in the SW part of Cutting 1, in the inner enclosure of Dún Aonghasa (GA110-039----). The construction method was similar in each case: initially a circular hollow was excavated and then lined with contiguous orthostats. While the individual stones were of various sizes, they were set at different depths so that the walls were even-topped. The superstructure of the houses most likely rested on the walling or on the contemporary ground surface immediately behind but there was no evidence to indicate their form. This example, identified as Structure 1 (int. diam. 4.85m), was the best preserved of the group. It was dug into a dry uncompacted horizon of soils made up of decomposed Late Bronze Age refuse and blown soils. Segments of the revetment walling, built of rectilinear limestone blocks of broadly similar shape and size, survived at SE, SW and NW. At SW and NW the walling continued in beneath the inner terrace of the enclosure wall. The foundations of the terrace rested almost directly on the house wall. A gap (Wth 0.85m) at E marked by a threshold stone indicated the position of the doorway; a possible spudstone survived on its S side. Discontinuous scatters of limestone paving survived in the interior. A finely made segmented-headed bone pin was found embedded in the paving stones in the SE quadrant and this proved to be the only find that could be unequivocally associated with the occupation of the house. No internal divisions were identified. A hearth in the SW quadrant opened to the S and was enclosed on the remaining sides by low kerbing. Its base consisted of a flat slab. No hearth residues were evident. The over-floor deposits contained a relatively large amount of animal bones dispersed throughout the house and spreads of limpet shells in the NW quadrant. Finds consisted mainly of Late Bronze Age pottery and two crucible fragments. The overlying horizons produced a mixture of finds including pottery and a bone spindle-whorl, a blue glass bead, part of an amber bead and some scraps of iron and a small lug-handled crucible. On the basis of the pin, it would appear that the house dates to the early medieval period (Cotter 2012, vol. 1 342-9, 357, 360; vol. 2, 284-9).

Compiled by: Olive Alcock

Date of upload: 24 June 2020

References

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