County: Kerry Site name: LOHER
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: Brendan O'Flaherty, Department of Archaeology, University College Cork
Site type: Ringfort - cashel
Period/Dating: Medieval (AD 400-AD 1600)
ITM: E 450582m, N 561564m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 51.786398, -10.165848
The fourth season of excavation was completed during 1985. The site may be classed as a cashel, 20m in internal diameter, with rampart walls, 2m thick.
Prior to excavation the interior of the site was composed of stone fill to a depth of 2m. On removing this fill, 2 stone structures were uncovered. Both of these had walls surviving to a height of 1m and 1m in thickness. One structure is circular (clochan type) and the other rectangular. The circular structure is c. 5m in diameter and the rectangular structure is 7m x 6m in extent.
The interiors of both these structures have been excavated. This revealed no great depth of occupation deposit but did reveal a good stratigraphic sequence of structures. Essentially, there are 5 identifiable structures including the above two. In the area of the surviving circular structure, an earlier stone-built circular structure was uncovered. This was pre-dated by a wooden structure constructed of driven stakes.
The rectangular structure was pre-dated by a circular wooden house, again of driven stakes. There is also the possibility of another post-built structure in this area. Apart from the above mentioned stratigraphic relationships, the latest circular structure pre-dates the rectangular stone structure. Other features include a souterrain associated with the circular house, and a parapet walkway and mural steps.
Finds include glass beads and a tanged knife. Organic material includes shell, carbonised seed remains, fish scales and fish bones.
