1993:112 - DÚN AONGHASA, Kilmurvey, Inismór, Galway

A second season of excavation was carried out at Dún Aonghasa during an eight-week period in summer 1993. Excavation was confined to Cutting 1, the large cutting opened in 1992 within the inner enclosure. Roughly two-thirds of this has now been fully excavated down to bedrock. Three hut sites/possible hut sites were uncovered here in 1992 and these were fully excavated this year.

Hut 1 remains the best preserved structure uncovered to date. No further walling was exposed this year but the entrance, marked by a stone threshold, lay in the east sector. Remains of a paved floor and a stone lined hearth survived in the interior. The associated occupation layer yielded 36 sherds of coarse pottery, part of a clay mould for a spearhead and three other fragments of undetermined type, two clay crucible fragments and a bone pin. The crucible appears to be similar to examples from Rathgall (Tylecote's Type J1). Hut 1 was not a primary feature at the site and underlying the walls and floor was an occupation layer which yielded pottery, clay moulds, a small bronze chisel and a number of bone artefacts. Apart from a possible spread of large stones and a small hollow in the bedrock, there were no features associated with this apparently primary occupation. There appears to have been no break in continuity between the earliest occupation here and the construction of Hut 1. Hut 1 appears to be broadly contemporary with the stone trough. A sample of animal bone from the trough yielded a radiocarbon date of 752 - 392 cal. BC.

No further features were revealed at Hut 2 and only a thin layer of archaeological deposits survived in this area. However, there is some evidence to suggest that this was not a primary feature. Further excavation of the relatively stone-free area centred on the stone-lined pit which was considered in 1992 to possibly define a hut (Hut 3) revealed no definite evidence for a structure. A number of other focal areas of domestic habitation have been outlined as a result of excavation this year. In most cases these consist of one or more of the following: spreads of paving, a stone hearth or stone-lined pit and occupation material with concentrations of domestic-type artefacts or burnt bone etc. The apparent absence of an enclosing element at most of these possible hut sites is probably a result of recycling of good building stone during the occupation of the site and stone-robbing during the refurbishment in the last century.

A large hollow in the bedrock runs in under the west wall roughly midway along the cutting. The hollow appears to have been quarried deliberately and was filled with occupation refuse. An infant burial was uncovered in the north-east corner of the hollow and a number of other human bones (adult and infant) have been recovered from all levels at the site.

Preliminary study of the mammal bones from the site by Finbar McCormick (Queens University, Belfast) has shown that the composition of the group contrasts greatly with other Irish sites dating to the Bronze or Iron Ages, with Dún Aonghasa having a higher incidence of sheep and lower incidence of pig than any other prehistoric site.

A further season of excavation is planned for 1994.

13-15 Lr. Hatch St., Dublin 2