AR01055_EMAP_Gazetteer_of_Sites_4-2_10.pdf - The Heritage ...

Cork
It appears that the three souterrains represent a gradual succession of use and replacement
than a single activity phase. One of the chambers of Souterrain I was later adapted as a
stone-lined pit after the other creep-ways and chambers were backfilled. Finds from the
backfill inside the souterrains included burnt sediments from wood charcoal, hazel nut shells,
animal bone and shellfish fragments as well as various iron objects, iron slag, a blue glass
bead, possible hone and hammer-stones and large perforated stones.
A metalled surface in the eastern area abutted the retaining wall of the inner face of the bank
and extended for up to 8m into the interior. It was continuous with the gravel paving in the
entrance-way and completely overlay the slot-cuts and stakeholes of the possible
outbuildings. The metalled surface contained a considerable amount of burnt occupation
debris including small crushed fragments of charcoal, animal bone and shell fish.
A deposit of stony soil (up to 0.8m in depth) sealed the archaeological features in the southeastern
down-sloping quadrant and may have been part of an attempt to raise and dry this
area. Finds from this deposit included possible hone and hammer-stones and an iron blade. It
could not be established if this stony deposit related to the occupation of the enclosure or
was associated with later post-medieval cultivation activity. Further features associated with
possible post-medieval cultivation activity included a secondary western entrance and ridge
and furrows.
A small quantity of animal bone was recovered from the site. Only 6% of the total animal
bones (179) was identifiable and contained the remains of cattle, sheep/goat, pig and red
deer. The plant remains from the site represent a typical crop regime from the period with
oats and barley dominant and smaller quantities of wheat and rye also present. Two pits predating
the enclosure contained a high incidence of wheat and may represent an earlier crop
regime. Forty-seven pieces of iron slag was recovered, the majority from disturbed contexts
or inside the fills of the souterrains.
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