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

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Meath<br />

Eight large unlined wells – ranging in depth between 1.6–2.5m – were discovered. It is<br />

possible that these were related to textile production because numerous sewing needles,<br />

spindle whorls, loom beater pins, a weaver’s rubbing stone and a loom weight were<br />

recovered from some <strong>of</strong> the enclosing ditch fills.<br />

Small-scale ironworking was evident by the presence <strong>of</strong> three possible bowl furnaces, a<br />

charcoal production pit and the occurrence <strong>of</strong> iron waste or slag. One <strong>of</strong> the bowl furnaces<br />

was dated to A.D. 564-666 while the charcoal production pit was formed later between A.D.<br />

1035-1225. Evidence for non-ferrous metalworking was also small and included two rough<br />

globules <strong>of</strong> molten copper and a possible copper ingot.<br />

Cereal processing was evident in the form <strong>of</strong> a figure-<strong>of</strong>-eight-shaped cereal-drying kiln and<br />

the fragments <strong>of</strong> two rotary quern-stones. Charcoal from the second fill <strong>of</strong> the kin was dated<br />

to A.D. 662-828.<br />

Three hundred and thirty seven wooden pieces were identified at Castlefarm and they all<br />

belonged to the early medieval phases. <strong>The</strong> most prevalent species were alder and hazel,<br />

followed by pomaceous fruitwood and ash. Seven components <strong>of</strong> stave-built wooden vessels<br />

were included in the assemblage and the presence <strong>of</strong> the blade from a cooper’s croze – which<br />

was a specialist woodworking tool – strongly suggests that stave-built wooden vessels were<br />

manufactured at Castlefarm.<br />

520

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