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

Fermanagh
Aghavea, Co. Fermanagh
Early Medieval Ecclesiastical Enclosure.
Grid Ref: H3706 3883
SMR No: 231:036
Excavation Licence: 00E0227
Excavation Duration/Year: 13 th -20 th April & 6 th June-11 th August 2000
Site Director: Ruairí Ó Baoill (Archaeological Excavation Unit, EHS)
Aghavea or Achadh -beithe (the field of the birch trees) was the site of an early sixth century
ecclesiastical foundation associated in mythology with the virgin Lasair and St. Molaise. There
is a record of a church on the site of the present 19 th century Church of Ireland building in
the 1306 Taxation. An early Christian stone with an inscription Ór Do Dunchad/PSPIT BIC
(Pray for Dunchad the little priest) was formerly found at Aghavea and is now in the care of
the National Museum in Dublin. The church is situated in Aghavea parish and townland
approximately 2.5km east of Maguiresbridge in the barony of Maghersteffany and is located
on a low local hilltop in gently undulating countryside with sloping ground especially to the
south down towards a low marshy area and stream. A wide, low roughly circular stone and
earthen bank encloses the site and measures roughly 60m northwest/ southeast, 3 meters in
maximum width and up to 0.40m in height.
A preliminary assessment was undertaken in April 2000 in advance of proposals to build a
church hall and car park in a field across the road from the church and uncovered significant
multi-period early Christian and medieval archaeological deposits and features across most of
the interior of the ecclesiastical site. Following agreement to move the church hall to the
eastern side of the site, a further 9 week rescue excavation was undertaken in June-August
2000 which fully excavated trial trenches in the proposed car park and in the whole new area
of the proposed church hall. Elsewhere, archaeological features uncovered across the site
during the preliminary assessments were recorded but not fully excavated and were covered
in terram for protection and possible future investigation. The main excavated features to the
east of the 19 th century church included a ditch with internal palisade slot cut by a later
medieval structure, areas of industrial activity, early Christian period ditches, various medieval
ditches and enclosures, a medieval metalled roadway leading towards the church and a large
collection of finds (Fig. 142).
The excavated early medieval features to the east of the 19 th century church comprised five
ditches, palisade slots, an industrial area, bowl furnaces, gullies and truncated postholes.
Three of these ditches formed part of enclosures of the early medieval ecclesiastical site. A
steep-sided flat bottomed ditch (1) was identified in the southwestern quadrant of the
excavated area and traced for a distance of 9meters. It had a maximum recorded width of
1.85m and depth of 0.80m and may represent an early medieval enclosing ditch. Fragments
of burnt bone and a blue glass bead were found in its uppermost fills and fragments of tooth
enamel, lignite and burnt hazel nuts in contexts below these.
A northwest/southeast aligned ditch (3) was investigated in the west of the excavated area
and was possibly associated with an internal palisade trench running 0.40m parallel to, but
east of it. It had a recorded max width of 1.8m x depth of 0.70m and was uncovered to a
length of 6m. Twenty seven pieces of slag, one metal object and seven sherds of Souterrain
ware pottery were found within its uppermost fill. The palisade slot was constructed with
interrupted stone packed post-holes and was uncovered below the wall slot of a medieval
structure in the west of the site for a distance of 5.60m. It varied in width from 0.20-0.40m
and a depth from 0.10m-0.20m and revealed fragments of slag from its lower fill. The
palisade and ditch may represent the remains of an early medieval ecclesiastical enclosure.
A section of the main ecclesiastical enclosure (ditch 4) was also excavated and extended
roughly east-west from the direction of the church. It was uncovered for a distance of 20m
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