Timber circle

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on the summit of a N-S ridge. When first described in 1969 (SMR file) the earthwork presented as a large ring-barrow consisting of a circular grass-covered area (diam. 38.5m NW-SE) separated by a fosse (Wth of top 6.5m-7.5m; Wth of base 2-2.5m; int. D 0.6-0.7m; ext. D 0.8-0.9m) and an outer earthen bank (Wth of base 3-5.8m; ext. H 0.5m at NW to 1.2m at SE).
The earthwork was damaged in 1988 and a subsequent excavation (E000510) in the years 1989-1993 revealed a complex of features including a possible Neolithic house, two hut-sites, two enclosures, two timber circles, and a ritual burial. The oval palisaded enclosure (ME011-040004-), which enclosed a circular hut-site (ME011-040005-), proved to be Late Bronze Age in date. These were superseded by an Iron Age hut-site (ME011-040007-) that was within an enclosure (diam. c. 21m) of a ceremonial nature defined by at least five pits (max. diam. 0.8m; max. D 0.75m) placed c. 6m apart, each containing a single post and placed c. 6m from the walls of the hut and which could be described as a timber circle. (Newman 1993c, 14-15; 1993d, 23)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 10 April, 2019

References

Newman, C. 1993d Sleeping in Elysium. Archaeology Ireland, 7, 3, 20-24.

Newman, C. 1993c Raffin Fort, Co. Meath Interim Report. Unpublished report, Author

SMR file - Sites and monuments record files in the National Monuments Service, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.