1988:50 - MOYNAGH LOUGH CRANNOG, Brittas, Meath

This season's work concentrated again on the Early Historic phase, and was particularly devoted to refining and clarifying the stratification and chronology of the crannog. As a result it is clear that at least four major phases of occupation are present. The recognition of these phases was helped significantly by the fact that each lay on top of a foundation layer of redeposited peat.

The earliest phase (W) is represented by a thick layer of charcoal flecked soil and ash and a patch of brushwood. It has only been partly exposed.

The succeeding phase (X) is represented by an entrance pathway, two metalworking areas and a double-walled round house with a diameter of about 7.5m. Excavation this season led to the discovery of a cess pit associated with this level. The pit was sub-rectangular and flat-bottomed with maximum dimensions at the mouth of 1.7m by 1.3m. The fill was composed of fine lenses of dung alternating with narrow fibreous lenses composed of straw and leaves. Finds recovered from this phase include seven bone pins, two bronze pins, one bone comb, a barrel padlock key, a bone motif piece, two glass fragments, a heating tray and a number of fragments of clay crucibles and moulds. Palisade 2 appears to link in with this phase and an important piece of evidence came to light in the form of wattles interwoven between the tops of some of its surviving posts. This is a feature which has long been suspected on crannóg sites, as the reconstructions at Craggaunowen and Ferrycarrig show, but this is the first clear evidence from this site.

The following phase (Y) is represented by the round house described in earlier reports (Bradley in Ríocht na Mídhe 7, nos 2,3), a second smaller round house with a central hearth and Palisade 1. Only traces of the second house survived and it consisted of an incomplete row of posts delimiting an area with a diameter of approximately 5.2m.

The basal remains of a fourth phase (Z) were recovered and these consisted of a layer of peat which was deposited over the burnt remains of the round house of the preceding phase. On top of this layer of peat was an oval shaped charcoal spread. Above this level the layers had been removed by the bulldozing activity which led to the discovery of the site in 1977.

The artefactual and dendrochronological evidence indicates that these phases of occupation occurred during the 7th and 8th centuries and at a time subsequent to AD 625. It is hoped that further dendrochronological work will refine the sequence.

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