EMAP_Progress_Reports_2009_2.pdf - The Heritage Council

Meath
Imar’ (Inis Locha Gabhar do thogail la hAmlaibh h. nImair). There are no historical references
to the site after A.D. 969. The end of Period III and the probable abandonment of the site
probably occurred in the late tenth or early eleventh century A.D. Archaeologists have pointed
out the circular arguments that lie behind Hencken’s use of historical references to phase the
various occupations, but accept his general dating of the site. It is also worth pointing out
that other potential phases of prehistoric and medieval occupation at Lagore have rarely been
described. Later medieval artefacts from the site were largely ignored by the excavator and a
wooden anthropomorphic figure from a sandy layer in the northwest part of the crannog has
been dated to the early Bronze Age.
The Lagore excavations produced huge amounts of early medieval finds, described in detail in
the original report, within which the nineteenth-century discoveries from the site are also
incorporated. There was extensive evidence for bronze working at Lagore, particularly in the
seventh-century and the tenth-century phases of occupation. The site produced pieces of
copper ore, sandstone ingot moulds and moulds for bronze rings, clay crucibles, tuyères, spilt
bronze waste and scrap pieces of sheet bronze. There were also bone and stone trial or motif
pieces, indicating the preparation of designs on-site. Bronze artefacts from the site included
bronze pennanular brooches, zoomorphic pennanular brooches, decorated bronze belt
buckles and strap ends, bronze pins and ringed pins, bronze bowls and rings. There were also
some on-site black smithing and ironworking, with large amounts of iron slag in the period II
occupation and ironworking floors in the Period II and Period III phases. Iron pennanular
brooches and pins may have been made there. Objects of finer metals included gold filigree
ornament and silver bracelets. There was also evidence for glass-working, with moulds for
glass studs occurring, but other finds included glass bracelets and armlets, glass rods,
millefiori, enamel and a large number of glass beads. The glass beads were decorated in a
range of ways, in blue, white, yellow, khaki and green. The beads varied in shape from
annular, to segmented, dumb-bell and melon shaped. There were also large amounts of
lignite bracelets. Imported European objects included Roman glass fragments, amber and E
ware pottery. Animal bones were used as motif-pieces to work out designs for metalworking.
There was also a range of other domestic crafts practiced on the site. Leather shoes, scraps
of leather and a wooden shoe last probably indicate the manufacturing of shoes on-site, while
an iron leather working tool, similar to an example from Ballinderry crannog No. 1 was also
found. Wooden spindles, spindle-whorls, fleece and animal hair were found, along with uncarded
wool and numerous pieces of textiles. Spinning and possibly weaving on a simple
loom were probably also carried out in the crannog. Bone working resulted in bone combs,
pins, a possible nail cleaner, gaming pieces, bone dice and a possible dice-box. There was a
wide range of woodworking equipment, including iron axes, an adze, a wooden mallet,
knives, gouges, awls, a punch, two small saws, a draw-knife and iron nails as well as
whetstones for sharpening them. Wooden artefacts produced on-site included stave-built
buckets, lathe-turned bowls (including some which replica E ware pottery), ladles, spindles
and various other domestic utensils.
It is clear from the historical record that Lagore was witness to several violent occasions,
when people were killed in raids on the site. The excavations at Lagore produced 200 human
bones from lower levels or the seventh-century Period 1a phase of occupation of the crannog,
many were from headless bodies. Fourteen human skulls with cut occipita indicated the
beheading of victims, while other bodies were scattered about the edge of the site. It is
possible that these were early medieval in date, but it is also possible that they are in fact
prehistoric burials. Two iron collars with chains, a possible leg-iron and an iron trident have
been interpreted as means of controlling hostages or slaves. Weaponry included a range of
different types of iron swords. There were twelve iron spearheads, leaf-shaped and
shouldered, including a Viking spearhead with an ornamented socket. There were also spearbutts,
ferrules and iron shield bosses, while iron horse-bits were also found.
Lagore crannog produced huge amounts of animal bone, fifty thousand pounds of bone were
recovered from the excavations and the nineteenth-century antiquarian accounts describe
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