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

Kerry
Radiocarbon dates support this chronology. A burial on a southeast orientation under the first
arch between the nave and south aisle at the west end of the cathedral pre-dated a burial
dated to A.D. 1050-1232. Pillow stones were found associated with a number of the earliest
burials; one at the east end of the cathedral was radiocarbon dated to A.D. 884-990 and predated
a sequence of four burials, while another – that of a young adult was partially sealed
underneath the plinth of the eleventh century damliac (Moore 2007, 87-91). An adult male
with pillow stones along the north wall was orientated northeast of the cathedral’s axis and
produced a radiocarbon date range from A.D. 890-1002; it was the lowest in a burial
sequence and pre-dated thirty burials, twelve of which included pillow stones. A small annular
green glass bead was also recovered from a secondary burial in an early medieval cist grave.
Three early medieval cross-slabs were also uncovered in the excavations and can be variously
dated from 9-11 th century (Moore 2007, 31-32).
The different orientation of the earliest burials from the alignment of the damliac or the
thirteenth century cathedral may indicate that these burials were probably associated with an
earlier unexcavated church. Post-holes were discovered outside the foundations of the
damliac, and may have been perhaps used as scaffolding posts used during the building of
the church. A deposit of mortar and mortar-flecked stones was also discovered beneath the
foundations of the eleventh century damliac and a quern stone was found in association with
this feature. This building was generally free of mortar which might indicate that ‘the original
foundation had been robbed out at this point and re-deposited as part of a later tomb
building’.
The foundation remains of the south, east and west walls of the damliac were uncovered
within the cathedral. The north wall of this stone church also survived incorporated into a
section of the north wall of the thirteenth century cathedral and stood to a height of 4m
above the foundations with a stone plinth defining the base of the surviving section of wall.
The walls of this early church were built from large blocks of cut limestone fitted neatly
together with the gaps filled by smaller stones. The excavated remains indicate that the
damliac originated as a rectangular structure, 10.2m by 6m with a chancel - 5.5m by 5.6m -
later added, probably in the twelfth century. One of the larger stones in the external north
wall of the damliac was decorated with a pair of linked Latin crosses.
The damliac had the same orientation as the later cathedral and was aligned northeastsouthwest.
The sun rises exactly opposite the east end of the cathedral on St. Brendan’s feast
day on the 16 th of May and it has been suggested that there was a decision made in the
eleventh century to lay the foundation stone for the damliac on his feast day (Moore 2007,
34). The construction of the damliac had an impact on the orientation of burials close to the
cathedral as those close to this building generally followed this new alignment. A significant
number of the burials close to the north wall - below an upper layer of late medieval cobbling
in the vestry area - were possibly earlier than the thirteenth century and may have
contemporary with the use of the damliac and the twelfth century church. A silver ring with
carnelian intaglio and three oval glass cabochons were found associated with the skeleton of
a possible bishop at the east end of the cathedral. The skeleton contained pillow stones and a
lining of stones around the head and although following the orientation of the later thirteenth
century cathedral, it was undoubtedly earlier than this building. It was dated to A.D. 900-
1032, though the type and style of the ring and the jewellery is more suggestive of a twelfth
or early thirteenth century date. Part of a bone comb was also found under the skull of a
skeleton at the western end of the nave and was dated to the mid eleventh-late twelfth
century.
The excavations at Ardfert also uncovered evidence for early medieval domestic and
agricultural activity. There was much evidence for the butchered remains of cattle, sheep and
pigs and also for the early medieval cultivation of oats and barley. Apple pips were also
recovered in similar early contexts indicating that they were also consumed in the early
medieval period. Seven fragments of sandstone querns and two fragments of sandstone
millstones indicate food preparation on site. Three of these were re-used as building material
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