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

Antrim
Armoy (Glebe td.), Co. Antrim
Early Medieval Ecclesiastical Enclosure.
Grid Ref: 30778 43325
SMR No: ANT 013:010
Excavation Licence: AE/04/155; AE/05/50
Excavation Duration/Year: 1991; 1997; 2004 & April-September 2005
Site Director: Brian Williams (NI Historic Monuments and Buildings Branch), Declan
Hurl (Environment Heritage Services, DoE), Andrew Gault (EHS, DoE), John Ó Néill
& Emer Nelis (Centre for Archaeological Fieldwork , QUB)
Excavations at the early Patrician foundation of Armoy have identified at least eight early
medieval phases of activity which produced evidence for an early medieval enclosure ditch,
gullies, pits, structural remains, metalled surfaces, two souterrains and craft-working areas -
metalworking features and specialised lignite-working site - as well as a large collection of
finds and souterrain ware pottery. The ecclesiastical site is situated on a commanding
promontory at c. 30m OD, defined along its eastern side by a steep scarp with impressive
views over the Wellwater River valley to its east and south. The site is also associated with an
early saint, Olcan and is mentioned in various medieval documents. It is believed to be the 5 th
century Patrician foundation of Airthir Maige; an establishment described in the 9 th century
text, The Tripartite Life of Patrick (Nelis et. al 2007, 9). The site at Armoy was also situated
where the Wellwater met the Slighe Miodluachra, the major northern routeway, possibly
originating from Tara and ultimately leading towards Dunseverick (ibid, 104).
St. Patrick’s church was built in the 1820s and was extended some years later. It is a
successor to a medieval church, of which the exposed plinth of the south wall was identified
while the truncated remains of an eleventh/twelfth century round tower lie to the north-west
of the modern church. The modern church is located within an early ecclesiastical enclosure
and a souterrain had been reported within its vicinity prior to excavation. The round tower
was investigated by Edmund Getty (1843) who uncovered disturbed human remains
(including a skull), capstone fragments, antler pins, horn artefacts and a whetstone within it
(Getty 1856, 173-77; Nelis et. al 2007, 20). It is probable that the burials found at the round
tower predate this monuments and that the construction of the monument was the cause of
their disturbance (Nelis et. al 2007, 20).
A small rescue excavation was undertaken to the southwest of the 19 th century churchyard
during the upgrade of the Glenshesk road in 1991 and uncovered part of a large ditch and a
souterrain (Williams 1991). The portion of ditch measured approximately 3m wide and 1.5m
deep with a northwest-southeast alignment (Nelis et. al 2007, 21). The souterrain was partly
destroyed but the surviving remains consisted of a main chamber, aligned eastsoutheastwestnorthwest,
traced for approximately 6.5m and a side chamber off the main passage,
aligned northnortheast-southsouthwest, which measured approximately 5.3m. The passage
had been excavated into subsoil, and the stone walls were built using basalt boulders. The
souterrain yielded souterrain ware and the remains of a furnace bottom and a human
skeleton.
A charcoal sample from the floor of the souterrain produced a date in the mid 7 th /8 th
centuries. It was suggested that it may have been subject to the ‘old wood effect’, indicating
perhaps a 9 th /10 th century date for the initial use of the structure. This structure may then
have been roughly contemporary with the other (Phase 7 & 8) souterrain excavated to the
north of the church in 2005 (Nelis et. al 2007, 21 & 115). Undated human remains from a
single female of approximately 16 years were also found in the side chamber of the
souterrain excavated in 1991. No other human remains were found in this area suggesting
that this part of the church site was not generally used for burial. The apparent informality of
the burial and lack of associated burials in the immediate area might either suggest that the
remains were related to the either the use of the souterrain (again possibly pointing to the
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