County: Meath Site name: KNOWTH
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: G. Eogan, University College Dublin
Site type: Megalithic tombs- passage tombs and Habitation sites
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 699830m, N 773818m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.704500, -6.488000
During 1977 excavation continued on the Early Christian settlement. As previous excavation revealed, two penannular ditches, probably of early 1st millennium AD, date surrounded the large mound. After a time a considerable amount of natural fill accumulated in the ditches as a result of which there was a flattened area, terrace-like in places, around the top and base of the mound. It was in these flat areas that later occupation took place, extending over the entire flat or terrace area of the top. The remains consist of at least five houses, three souterrains, areas of paving and fire-places. The deposit is stratified, and although complex. At least three main horizons have been distinguished. In, and close to the structures, artifacts, such as iron knives, bronze pins, bone combs and quern stones were found.
The occupation around the base was not as extensive as that on the top. The main areas of occupation were around the entrances to the large passage tombs, in fact both were incorporated into a souterrain complex. The occupation around the entrance to the Eastern Tomb was the most intense of any area. Over this area, 26m long, there were four souterrains, six houses, and other evidence of occupation but not all the structures were in contemporary use. The range of artifacts is similar to that from the top occupation area. The evidence suggests that this post-ditch occupation could have started about the 8th century and continued down to Norman times. Additional evidence of Neolithic, Beaker, Iron Age, Early Christian and Medieval activity was uncovered in 1978.
Neolithic
In an attempt to define the extent of the passage tomb cemetery more completely, an area of over half an acre was investigated on the western side of the large mound, while on the eastern side an area of almost one acre was examined. On the western side one additional passage tomb came to light. This was of the cruciform type. It has been badly damaged and although parts of the basal layers of the mound survived, none of the kerbstones and only the stump of one orthostat remained. Part of the primary cremation deposit was present in situ. There were no grave goods.
No direct evidence for passage graves turned up on the eastern side. A number of large stones which, due to their appearance, must have been kerbstones together with many hundreds of green grit flakes (a stone used for many kerbstones and orthostats) were present. This area was very intensively utilised, especially in the last century and it is possible that one (or more) passage tombs may have existed.
Beaker
Another area of Beaker activity was discovered. This was to the east of the large mound. The features consisted of a hearth, some pits and a couple of post-holes. The area of activity, defined by a spread of pottery sherds and flints, was roughly rectangular in shape and covered approximately 16 by 10m. Over nine hundred potterv sherds and about twenty-five flint…(?)
lron Age/Early Christian
Two further examples of unprotected inhumation burials came to light. These were discovered to the north-west of the large mound. They had been placed in shallow pits dug into the old ground surface. In one burial the grave goods consisted of 570 blue glass beads and one toggle bead of clear glass; in the other there were some 220 blue glass beads, six bronze rings, five bone beads and one lead ring. These burials can be dated to the Iron Age.
Four cist burials occurred to the west of the large mound. Two of these contained inhumation burials, but there were no grave goods. The burials had a precise cast-west orientation which suggests that they may be of Early Christian date.
On the large mound, the examination of the Early Christian settlement continued. On the habitation side the excavation of three house sites and a souterrain was completed as was the investigation of hearth sites, paved areas and other places of domestic activity. An iron smelting area with two bowl furnaces was discovered overlying the inner ditch on the south-west side of the large mound. Another iron-smelting area in a large elongated pit was uncovered some 30m, to the south-east of the large mound.
Medieval
Excavation to the east of the large mound showed that Anglo-Norman activity extended into this area. Portion of a large medieval ditch, already known from other parts of the site, was found and sherds of jugs, skillets and cooking pots of thirteenth- or fourteenth-century date were present.
Click on the link below for the Royal Irish Academy's online resource for Knowth Excavations:
