Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

In a small coniferous plantation on a low ridge in mixed pasture and tillage. As originally constructed, a large oval area (int. c. 70m E-W; c. 55m N-S) was enclosed by three earthen banks with two intervening fosses, and had a narrow causewayed entrance at E. By 1971, however, most of the interior had been destroyed by gravel workings and only the E and W segments of the original enclosing elements survived. A small archaeological rescue excavation was undertaken by the National Parks and Monuments Branch of the Office of Public Works (Fanning 1972, 170-9). It was found that only two fosses (D 1m) ever existed i.e. there was never a third, outer fosse. As expected, that the banks were constructed from upcast material but, in the case of the outer bank, the material rested on a platform of stones (stone av. L 0.2m; Wth 0.1m) with other stones revetting the inner face of the bank. The inner bank contained a narrow palisade or stockade trench (av. Wth 0.4m; D 0.3m) in which a series of closely (but irregularly) spaced post holes (av. Diam 0.2m; D 0.5m) were found. Two possible fire pits and some animal bone indicated pre-fort activity on the site. The small surviving portion of the interior was fully excavated and several small pits were uncovered. Apart from the large quantity of animal bone found (ox, pig and sheep), finds were few: a flint flake, a possible stone spindle whorl and an iron object, possibly a punch. Subsequently, in 1975, and prior to the badly damaged E segment of the fort being levelled, a second rescue excavation was undertaken (Fanning 1977-8, 71-2). The fosses between the banks were found to terminate on either side of a gap to form a well-defined causewayed entrance. Charcoal samples from the old sod layer under the middle bank were submitted for radio-carbon testing and returned two dates: A.D.400±180 and 110-130±60. The dates could represent activity on the site immediately prior to (or during) construction of the ringfort, but no positive dating evidence for the actual occupation of the ringfort itself was found.

Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy

Date of upload: 25 October 2013

References

Fanning, T. 1972a, Excavation of a ringfort at Narraghmore, Co. Kildare. Journal of the Kildare Archaeological Society, 15 No. 2, 170-77.

Fanning, T. 1977-8, Excavation of a ringfort at Narraghmore, Co. Kildare. Journal of the Kildare Archaeological Society, 16 No. 1, 71-2.