EMAP_Progress_Reports_2009_2.pdf - The Heritage Council

Kerry
Loher, Co. Kerry
Early Medieval Settlement Enclosure
Grid Ref: V51526193 (051529/061931)
SMR No: KE106-003001
Excavation Licence: E000840
Excavation Duration/year: Early 1980s
Site Director: B. O’Flaherty (University College Cork)
A stone fort at Loher, situated on the lower western slopes of Farraniaragh Mountain, was
excavated in the early 1980s. A network of old field walls, some of which are curvilinear,
occurs in the vicinity of the site and are overlain by a modern field pattern (Fig. 167).
Excavation revealed a sequence of wooden and stone-built circular and rectangular structures
within the interior.
The stone fort measured 18.4m by 19.8m internally. The enclosing walls (4m thick and up to
3.3m high) contained a rubble core faced internally and externally with random courses of
well-built dry-stone masonry. Traces of two terraces furnished with steps were uncovered
along the internal face of the wall, and a lintel-covered paved entrance passage (4m by
1.35m, and 1.7m high) led into the interior from the south-south-east.
The interior was covered with stone-fill to a depth of 2.0m prior to excavation. Two dry-stone
built structures (one circular (I) and one rectangular (II)) were exposed within the stone-fill
and their interiors excavated. Though no great depth of occupation deposit was uncovered
within the buildings, the excavation did reveal a good stratigraphic sequence of houses.
House I (6.6m internal diameter) was uncovered in the north-eastern quadrant of the
enclosure abutting the enclosing wall. Its walls survived to an average height of 1.3m and an
entrance 0.8m wide was located at the south. Excavation revealed an earlier stone-built
circular structure in the area of House I, which was in turn pre-dated by a wooden structure
constructed of driven-stakes. The entrance of a souterrain was located in the western half of
the interior of House I, which gave access to a dry-stone-built lintelled passage, 1m high
which runs east-west for 3m. Excavations established that the construction of the souterrain
post-dated House I.
House II (7.75m by 6.3m internally) occupied much of the western half of the interior of the
enclosure. The walls of the building survived to an average height of 1.2m and consisted of a
rubble core faced internally and externally with coursed dry-stone masonry, and a 1m wide
entrance was located on the south wall and contained a paved pathway which leads towards
the caher entrance. The northeast angle of the building abutted the external face of the
circular dry-stone house, thus post-dating House I, but House II was also preceded by a
circular wooden structure constructed of driven stakes. Another possible post-built structure
was also identified in this area.
Finds from the site included glass beads and a tanged knife. Organic material included shell,
carbonised seed remains, fish scales and fish bones.
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