County: Westmeath Site name: CRO-INIS, Dysart
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: Robert T. Farrell, Dept. of English, Cornell University
Site type: Crannog
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 638842m, N 746923m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.470924, -7.414952
This site is one of several that make up the Crannóg Archaeology Project
It is quite clear that there are not only a large number of unrecorded crannogs in the west midlands, but a wide range of other features, which appear to have served as docks, harbours, and breakwaters in antiquity. Of particular interest is the furtherance of work in and around Cro-Inis in Lough Ennel. The crannog itself is a carefully devised structure, with a central stone building constructed of a rubble core, faced on both sides. This is in turn surrounded by a cobbled area; three paths lead to the water's edge on its northern, eastern and western sides. The western and eastern paths are in rough alignment with what appear to be breaks in the offshore (underwater) palisade. The third leads to an extensive bone midden. A section of plank palisade was found at the water's edge on the western shore; two complete bronze pins, one broken bronze pin and other artefacts were found when these timbers were cleared for dendrochronological samples. They are of a type common in the 11th and 12th centuries. The vertical log palisade that surrounds the island is of interest, particularly as the portions deep in the mud bottom are well preserved, and show tool marks. Unfortunately, all the offshore timbers discovered to date are of birch, so that dating is difficult. It is interesting that the palisade system is most dense on the exposed quarters of the island, and even more interesting that preliminary survey work shows a very similar palisade associated with Goose Island, on the north-eastern shore of Lough Ennel.
If funds are available, the 1990 season will be an attempt to map all of the significant features in and around the lake, coupling field walking on the shores with what may best be described as field swimming of the underwater and awash features. We will then have a solid foundation on which to build settlement pattern and land use studies in the hitherto insufficiently studied lakes of the west midlands.
Rockefeller Hall, Ithaca, NY 148S3-2502, USA
