House - Neolithic

The National Monuments Service's description

In rocky pasture on the S-facing slope of Knockadoon Peninsula, 75m N of and overlooking Lough Gur. The circular Neolithic house site (Site C House I) was discovered in 1940 during a campaign of archaeological excavations over 18 seasons led by Professor Seán P. Ó Ríordáin at Lough Gur (1953/4, 321-84). The site is located within an area of dense archaeological activity dating principally from the Neolithic and Bronze Age up to the present day around the lake (Cleary 2018). Further Neolithic and Bronze Age settlement is located adjacent to the site. Archaeological excavations by Ó Ríordáin at Site A (LI032-022010-) was located c. 45m SW. Archaeological excavations by Ó Ríordáin at Site D (LI032-022016-/017/018) are located c. 20m to NE. Many other archaeological sites are located on the peninsula, including Circle K (LI032-022028-) lies 92m to NNW.
The Neolithic house site (LI032-022013- Site C House I) is not depicted on historic OSi maps. The site is not visible on OSi orthoimages taken 2005-12 or on the Digital Globe orthoimages taken 2011-2013. Rose Cleary (2018, 82) described the site as follows: ‘House I. This was in the centre of the 1940 excavation area. The footprint of the house suggests an internal diameter of c. 5.5m and an external diameter of c. 7.7m (E-W) by 6.3m (N-S). The walls were constructed using double posts along most of the perimeter, presumably with intermediary wattle walls between the upright posts, and a slot-trench (L 4.2m) on the N side as a footing for vertical planks. Ó Ríordáin suggested that the wall cavity between the outer and inner wattle walls was filled with some type of organic material, such as rushes or brushwood (ibid., 325). These types of walls were postulated for the earlier house types at Site A (LI032-022010-), Houses 1-2 (LI032-022011-) at Circle K (LI032-022028-) and House B, Circle L (LI032-022030-). House B at Circle L had a combination of double post-built and vertical planked walls. An inner setting of post-holes (LI032-022013- Site C House I) projected diameter of 2.4m, suggested upright posts that supported the roof. The intermediary space between the wall and the inner post setting varied from c. 0.6m to 1.1m, and this may have formed a compartment separated from the central ‘living area’. There was no clear evidence for a door in House I, although stones marked on the site plan suggested a threshold on the S side. The hearth site had seven small (c. 0.1m in diameter and 0.15m deep) stake-holes on the S side, suggesting a spit or pot-hanger over the fire. Ó Ríordáin interpreted a large kidney-shaped pit, c. 2.2m long (N-S) by 1.6m wide (E-W) and 0.6m deep, on the E side of the floor area as an internal rubbish pit.’ The faint outline of the excavation grid orientated E-W is visible on Google Earth orthoimage taken 28/06/2018. The exact site location of House II is not clear and the location suggested here is the best estimate based on the text of the excavation report and attempting to correlate site photos and recent aerial orthoimages.

See Google Earth orthoimage

Compiled by: Edmond O’Donovan

Date of upload: 11 November 2020

References

Ó Ríordáin, S.P. 1954 Lough Gur excavations: Neolithic and Bronze Age houses on Knockadoon. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 56C, 297-460.

Grogan, E. and Eogan, G. 1987 Lough Gur excavations by Seán P. O Ríordáin; further Neolithic and Beaker habitations on Knockadoon. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 87C, 299-506.

Cleary, R. 2018 The archaeology of Lough Gur. Dublin. Wordwell.

Cleary, R. et al. 2003 Enclosed Late Bronze Age Habitation Site and Boundary Wall at Lough Gur, Co. Limerick. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 103C, 97-189.