Forge

The National Monuments Service's description

While the large enclosure, rath and burial ground are preserved under introduced soil in a green area all the available external area was excavated (15E0125) under the direction of S. McGlade in 2018-19 (excavations.ie 2019: 474). A possible drip-gully (Wth 1.05m; D 0.33m), from which two amber beads and metal slag were recovered, was identified c. 15m E of the concentration of furnace-bottoms as Structure 18. It was also at the NW angle of the ditch-defined SE quadrant of the N annexe and was partly set in its silted ditches. The drip-gully enclosed a rectangular area (int. dims c. 6.9m E-W; 3.1m N-S) and two postholes were on its W side, suggesting that there may have been an entrance on this side. There was a hearth in the SE corner and a pit that was cut through the gully at SE had fills with metal slag and animal bone. An iron nail and a fragment of a lignite bracelet were recovered from it. Structure 18 is interpreted as a possible forge. Although it has no workbench what is described as an anvil stone was recovered from topsoil in the vicinity. A broad arcing cut (L 6.5m; Wth 2m; D 0.35m) S of the metalworking area that cut the fill of the W ditch of the annexe could be contemporary with the metalworking and have served as a plunging pool for the forge. It contained metallurgical waste, and an iron knife together with a copper-alloy strap-end were recovered from it. (McGlade 2020, vol. 1, 198-202, 318)

Ture location: ITM (695993, 752958)

See the attached illustrations from McGlade (2020, p. 201, 198)
_1 Metalworking in the N annexe;
_2 Possible forge in N annexe;

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 3 May, 2022

References

McGlade, S. 2020 Preliminary Excavation Report. Readsland, Dunshaughlin. Licences: 15E0125; 18R0174. Unpublished report, 2 vols archaeology plan