Habitation site

The National Monuments Service's description

This was originally designated as ‘House 10’ situated at the E edge of the summit of the mound, but it is unlikely to have been a house. It is built over the eight century humus and a levelling up layer over the inner fosse of the rath (ME019-030040-), and is the first structure on the summit from the tenth - eleventh century open settlement. The earliest features here were 6 hearths that were in the open and which fire-reddened an extensive area. These are sealed directly by a paved area (dims 30m N-S; 7m E-W) that has drystone walling retaining the mound material (max. H 0.9m) on the long sides. However, the S end coincided with the terminal of the upper fosse of the rath, and it may have served just to consolidate the fosse. Nevertheless, there was habitation material (D 0.1-0.2m) with 10 hearths over the paving which were concentrated at the S end. The habitation layer was covered by a compact layer of brown sandy clay followed by more habitation material in seven layers (max. T 0.6m). The habitation is thought to be contemporary with hearths pre-dating other houses on the summit, and a wide range of artefacts including glass and jet bracelets, beads, ringed pins and a comb, as well as bone-working waste, a bone handle and a whetstone were recovered. The insertion of souterrains 3 and 5 damaged this paving and walling at the N end. (Eogan 2012, 132-8)

True location: ITM (699633, 773446)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 26 November 2013
Amended: 17 September 2020

See the attached illustrations:
_1 Early medieval features, from Knowth 5, Fig. 4:1
_2 House plan, from Knowth 5, Fig. 4:32

References

Eogan, G. 2012 Excavations at Knowth 5: the archaeology of Knowth in the first and second millennia AD. Dublin. Royal Irish Academy.