EMAP_2012_Report_6_1.pdf (7.3 MB) - The Heritage Council

Glass is the most common material found in beads, featuring on 122 sites, but other
materials noted include amber (23 sites), bone (18 sites), stone (14 sites), jet/lignite (seven
sites), clay (five sites), bronze (two sites – Lisleagh and Parknahown – although the
identification as beads as opposed to fragments of other items is not certain), ivory (two
sites), and rock crystal, lead, antler and faience (one site each). As with the larger quantities
above, there is a broad spread across site types, as shown in Fig. 7.8, which sets out the four
main materials used in beads.
Bracelets
Bracelets were made from a range of materials including jet, lignite, shale, stone, antler and
boar tusk, as well as glass, copper alloy, gold and silver. The last two are more
representative of the Viking Age, but appear to reflect some of the descriptions found in
contemporary texts. The most common type, those made from fossil wood (covering jet,
lignite, and varieties of coal and shale) are found throughout the period from prehistory to
the Norman era (Lanigan 1964, 60). The main use of glass bracelets, however, falls between
the late seventh and the ninth century (Carroll 2001, 101, 105).
Fig. 7.9: Bracelets by site types (108 sites)
Of 216 sites with personal ornaments, 108 sites produced one or more bracelets; these are
broken down by site type in Fig. 7.9. In most cases, bracelets are represented only by
fragments, making it difficult to quantify how many of the ornaments were originally present.
The most common material is jet/lignite (or variations thereof e.g. shale), appearing on some
93 sites (mostly alone, but sometimes in combination with other materials). Glass bracelets
occur on 24 sites, stone bracelets on six sites (Ballinderry I, Carraig Aille II, Castlefarm,
Coolcran, Raystown and Rinnaraw), and copper alloy bracelets on ten sites (Ballinderry II,
Baronstown, Caraun More, Clogher (Co. Tyrone), Craigywarren, Knowth (two bracelets),
Lagore (two examples), Marlinstown, Moathill 1 and Rathtinaun (plural)). A fragment of a
silver bracelet was also found at Lagore. The range of materials used is added to by six
bracelets made of petrified wood at Deer Park Farms, perhaps a localised version of the
lignite or stone bracelets (though this site did have lignite bracelets also); and a boar’s tusk
bracelet at Ballinderry II.
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