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

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

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Fermanagh<br />

and measured approximately 3m wide x 0.80m deep. It’s charcoal and organic-rich fills<br />

contained nineteen pieces <strong>of</strong> slag, one metal object and large fragments <strong>of</strong> burnt bone within<br />

its fills and appears to have pre-dated the main medieval ditch and a smaller medieval ditch.<br />

A north-south ditch (2) was located in the west <strong>of</strong> the excavated area and was recorded for a<br />

distance <strong>of</strong> 13.5 meters. It had a max width <strong>of</strong> 3.10m x 0.20m deep and contained animal<br />

bone, fifteen pieces <strong>of</strong> slag and six flint pieces. It was cut by an early medieval enclosing<br />

ditch and must be <strong>of</strong> this date or earlier. Another early medieval ditch (5) was located in the<br />

southeast <strong>of</strong> the excavated area, west <strong>of</strong> ditch (1) for a distance <strong>of</strong> 5.60m. It had sloping<br />

sides and a flat bottom and had a maximum excavated width <strong>of</strong> 1.60m and depth <strong>of</strong> 0.80m.<br />

One piece <strong>of</strong> slag, fragments <strong>of</strong> burnt bone, a fragment <strong>of</strong> lignite and two metal objects were<br />

recovered from its uppermost fill which was similar to the uppermost fill <strong>of</strong> ditch (2). <strong>The</strong><br />

ditch widened towards its northern end to merge with Ditch (2) and was also cut by an arced<br />

foundation gully/trench <strong>of</strong> a possible structure <strong>of</strong> uncertain date.<br />

An early medieval industrial area was located immediately outside and close to the<br />

entranceway <strong>of</strong> the early medieval ecclesiastical enclosure. It comprised a large irregular<br />

shaped cut - 14m long, north-south, x 10m wide x (a maximum) <strong>of</strong> 0.30m deep - in the<br />

southwest <strong>of</strong> the excavated area, close to the termination <strong>of</strong> ditch (1). Its fills contained<br />

occasional charcoal flecking, large quantities <strong>of</strong> slag, three pieces <strong>of</strong> tuyere and stone objects<br />

- some <strong>of</strong> them pot boilers -, metal artefacts, flint and animal bone. Artefacts <strong>of</strong> both early<br />

and late medieval date in the form <strong>of</strong> a fragment <strong>of</strong> lignite bracelet and two sherds <strong>of</strong><br />

Medieval Ulster Coarseware pottery were recovered from one <strong>of</strong> the fills.<br />

Two early medieval bowl-furnaces also indicate significant industrial activity at the site. <strong>The</strong><br />

northern edge <strong>of</strong> the industrial area was cut by one <strong>of</strong> these bowl furnaces (1), 1.1m in<br />

diameter and 0.40m deep which contained a large quantity <strong>of</strong> charcoal, burnt stone, bone<br />

and over two hundred fragments <strong>of</strong> slag. A second bowl furnace (2) with near vertical sides<br />

and a flat bottom measured approximately 0.80m in diameter and 0.17m deep and was<br />

uncovered at the western edge <strong>of</strong> the excavated area. Its fill also contained charcoal flecking<br />

and burnt stone and bone. Adjacent to the first bowl-furnace (1) was a linear<br />

northwest/southeast aligned gully tracked for a distance <strong>of</strong> 13m. <strong>The</strong> feature had gently<br />

sloping sides and a flat base and had a maximum width <strong>of</strong> 1.30m wide and depth <strong>of</strong> 0.35m.<br />

It contained two charcoal-flecked fills, from which a metal object, twenty eight pieces <strong>of</strong> slag<br />

and a fragment <strong>of</strong> burnt bone were recovered from. Another gully north <strong>of</strong> but close to the<br />

same bowl furnace (1) was tracked for a distance <strong>of</strong> 5.10m. It had gradually sloping sides<br />

and a concave base and had a maximum width <strong>of</strong> 1.10m and depth <strong>of</strong> 0.43m. Its fills<br />

contained over forty pieces <strong>of</strong> slag and fragments <strong>of</strong> animal bone. <strong>The</strong> functions <strong>of</strong> the gullies<br />

are unknown but the large quantities <strong>of</strong> slag would indicate that they served an industrial<br />

use.<br />

A second palisade slot, 13.60m long east-west, was located close to but north <strong>of</strong> the most<br />

easterly located bowl furnace (1). <strong>The</strong> slot was U-shaped in pr<strong>of</strong>ile and a maximum <strong>of</strong> 0.60m<br />

wide and 0.40m deep. <strong>The</strong> palisade slot-trench was interpreted as the remains <strong>of</strong> a possible<br />

windbreak or screen for the industrial area. Also excavated on the site were two truncated<br />

postholes overlain by a soil horizon from which was recovered two sherds <strong>of</strong> medieval Ulster<br />

Coarse pottery and fragments <strong>of</strong> burnt sandstone. This spread was in turn cut by a<br />

substantial medieval enclosing ditch. <strong>The</strong> function <strong>of</strong> the two postholes is unknown but<br />

maybe early medieval in date.<br />

<strong>The</strong> main excavated medieval features comprised a large enclosure ditch, an internal division,<br />

a structure, pathway, metalled surface and an occupation layer. <strong>The</strong> first medieval ditch (1)<br />

appears to have formed part <strong>of</strong> a substantial enclosure- perhaps the outer enclosure ditch. It<br />

was uncovered for a distance <strong>of</strong> twenty five meters across the north <strong>of</strong> the area and had a<br />

maximum recorded width <strong>of</strong> three meters and depth <strong>of</strong> 0.80m. This medieval enclosure cut<br />

the main early medieval ditch (4) on the site. Finds from the medieval ditch included several<br />

dozen sherds <strong>of</strong> Ulster coarse ware pottery, fragments <strong>of</strong> slag, burnt bone, metal object and<br />

a fifteenth century coin. A further medieval ditch section (2) across the northern portion <strong>of</strong><br />

284

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