House - prehistoric

The National Monuments Service's description

On a slight S-facing slope. Excavation (99E0193) in 1999-2000 (Henry 2000c, Lennon and Henry 2001, vol. 1, 11-50; Lennon and Henry 2002) of an extensive area (dims 120m NW-SE; 55m NE-SW) including part of rath (RO011-160001-) discovered an unenclosed Iron Age settlement pre-dating the rath, which is one of the few complete settlements from the period (Mallory 2013, 172). The settlement consisted of eight structures, pits, post-holes and fragments of stone surfaces. Seven circular features, only four of which might have been roofed were recorded, but only one, situated inside the bank of the rath at S, was complete (diam. 6.7m). It had an entrance (Wth 2.1m) at S, but there was no hearth. Its C14 determinations range from BC 110 - 132 AD, and all the structures are defined by trenches cut in the subsoil. A complete subrectangular house-site (RO011-160008-) (dims 9.7m NE-SW; 6.2m NW-SE) was c. 40m to the SW. It had internal stake-holes, but an ash deposit against the NE wall probably marked its destruction. Fulacht fia (RO011-160004-) was within the area and burnt spread (RO011-160005-) is c. 30m to the SW.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 24 August 2010

References

Lennon, A.M. and Henry, M. 2001 Archaeological report on the excavation at Cloongownagh, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Roscommon. Mary Henry Archaeological Services. Unpublished report, National Monuments Section, Heritage and Planning Division, Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Dublin. Licence no. 99E0193.

Mallory, J.P. 2013 The origins of the Irish. London. Thames and Hudson.

Henry, M. 2000c Cloongownagh enclosure. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 1999: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 268, No. 765. Bray. Wordwell.

Lennon, A. M. and Henry, M 2002 Cloongownagh. Enclosure. in I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 2000: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 290-1, No. 849. Bray, Wordwell