EMAP_Progress_Reports_2009_2.pdf - The Heritage Council

Galway
Loughbown (1), Co. Galway
Early Medieval Settlement Enclosure.
Grid Ref: M82162894 (182163/228944)
SMR No: GA087-178
Excavation Licence: A024/E2442
Excavation Duration/Year: January 2006.
Site Director: N. Bower (Eachtra)
The site consisted of a bivallate enclosure set on the side of a hill (Fig. 143). The site was
enclosed by two ditches – the outer ditch (1.5m wide and 0.8m deep, with a diameter of
63m); and the inner ditch (3m wide and 1.1m deep, with a diameter of 42m). Excavation was
required to facilitate road construction.
The enclosure would appear to have been the site of earlier activity, and a linear ditch
uncovered during excavation produced a Bronze Age radiocarbon date (see below). This ditch
was truncated by the outer ditch of the enclosure, but appears to have remained open
throughout the early medieval period as an iron knife blade (dated by the excavator to the
ninth to fourteenth century) was also found in this feature.
The outer ditch was V-shaped in profile and was in-filled with largely sterile silts. Some bone
was recovered from the earliest fill, and one of these returned a radiocarbon date in the
sixth/seventh century (see below). The upper fill of this ditch to the east of the entrance was
overlain by metalworking spoil, suggesting that the ditch had been in-filled by the time ironworking
was conducted in this area. Dates from one of the three smithing hearths would
indicate that this occurred in the eleventh/twelfth century.
The entranceway appears to have had an outer gate (indicated by large postholes just
beyond the outer ditch), and may have been bounded by a possible palisade trench or
associated drainage trench.
The inner ditch showed evidence of two subsequent phases of re-cutting and the skeleton of
a juvenile human was found in the western terminus of this ditch. The lack of cut features to
the rear of this ditch led the excavator to suggest the presence of a contemporary bank,
some evidence of which may be seen in the in-fill of the ditch. Two corn-drying kilns were cut
into the in-fill of the inner ditch, and radiocarbon dates from one of these suggest that this
occurred around the fourteenth century.
Two possible structures were identified in the interior of the site. Structure A was trapezoidal
in shape (indicated by eleven postholes), and had an occupation layer that contained charred
cereals and hazelnuts. This structure may potentially have acted as a gate-house. Structure B
comprised five postholes and a slot trench arranged in an L-shape; animal bones, burnt clay,
and charred cereal remains were recovered from this structure. Another area of occupation
debris was indicated to the north of Structure B. This had been truncated during excavation,
but revealed charcoal, shell, bone, slag and cereal remains, as well as an iron fish hook and a
ringed pin. A stone-built souterrain was also discovered in this area, and this produced a
large number of animal bones (largely cattle and sheep/goat).
Other finds from site included fragments of eight quernstones, a silver penny of Edward I
(1272-1307), two iron bars, a copper alloy ring, a copper stud fragment, and six other
fragments of copper alloy. Almost 5,000 animal bones were recovered from this site, and
cattle and sheep were the most dominant species identified (with cattle only slightly more
numerous than sheep).
266