EMAP_Progress_Reports_2009_2.pdf - The Heritage Council

Limerick
house which utilized the topography of the interior of the site. There were traces of other
houses- one circular and one rectangular- which were wooden-framed. Other postholes were
found in the interior, but the form and chronological relationship of these structures was not
known. Portions of paving were identified across the site with one area in the centre of the
interior possibly contemporary with one of the wooden houses. A souterrain-type structure
comprising two long compartments connected by a narrow passage was also uncovered on
the northeast of the enclosure. Finds from the site included one thin bronze plate, one
spherical bronze object and a bone comb.
Cush 6 was formed by the area bounded within the outer banks-and-ditches of Cush 4 and 5.
The burnt remains of a rectangular wattle-and-daub building (6.7m by 4.3m) were uncovered
near the northern side of the enclosure. A considerable amount of iron slag was found on this
site.
The site of the rectangular ‘enclosure’ has its own bank-and-ditch on three sides, with the
fourth side formed by enclosures 1-6. The ditch of this site was cut into the underlying rock
and was larger than the ditches of the enclosures. A line of twelve postholes were identified
inside the bank on the south side and appear to have formed part of a structure, built
possibly to strengthen the defences at this point. A number of structures were discovered in
this area. A possible stone-and-timber roundhouse (A) - defined by a sub-rectangular row of
postholes and stones around a compact clay floor with two internal hearths- was excavated
to the west of enclosure 1 just inside and partly covered by the collapse of the banks of the
‘enclosure’.
A rectangular house (B) (7m by 3m) with a stone-paved floor and of stone-and-turf
construction was excavated in the southern interior of the ‘enclosure’. Four postholes were
uncovered in the interior of the structure and probably held timber roof supports.
Immediately south of House B were uncovered a further two structures designated (C). The
main building was rectangular (5.5m x 4.3m) and its walls were constructed in part directly
over House B. The other house was identified by a light band of charcoal which formed no
coherent structural plan. House D was excavated to the north of House B and consisted of a
post-built rectangular sunken structure with an irregular partition running through its centre.
House E was excavated in the south-eastern area of the ‘enclosure’ and was identified by
bands of charcoal which formed no definite plan. A possible unfinished spindle-whorl was
found at this house.
One further house (F) was uncovered in the area of the ‘western field’ adjacent to the
‘enclosure’. It was similarly built to House A, and comprised a roughly circular structure (4m
diameter) with stone-and-organic walls and a compact internal clay floor. Associated with this
building were numerous small postholes to its west which may represent the remains of other
successive houses on the site. Three flint barbed-and-tanged arrow-heads were recovered
from one of these postholes while another yielded a single flint arrow-head and a fragment of
flint. The recovery of these prehistoric finds to the west of this building and the proximity of
the building to the small cist grave containing two food vessels could indicate that this
structure- and perhaps some structures within the rectangular enclosure- are also potentially
prehistoric in date.
The earthworks of the northern group consisted of four enclosures (7-10) within a modern
field of over three acres with a further unexcavated site (11) situated in the next field. The
enclosures of the northern group were connected with each other through a bank between
Cush 7 and Cush 8, and a section of arcing bank and ditch between Cush 8 and Cush 10.
Some strengthening of the defences of Cush 8 and Cush 10 may have occurred but all the
enclosures appear to have been roughly coeval with each other.
Cush 7 consists of a bivallate enclosure (43m overall diameter) at the most southerly end of
the northern group. The site had a western entrance and the inner face of the inner bank
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