1993:183 - RAFFIN FORT, Raffin, Meath

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Meath Site name: RAFFIN FORT, Raffin

Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 11:41 Licence number: E000510

Author: Conor Newman

Site type: Ceremonial enclosure

Period/Dating: Multi-period

ITM: E 681933m, N 782815m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.788454, -6.756593

A fifth season of excavations was carried out in May and June 1993. Work once again concentrated on the interior of the enclosure where, previously, evidence of six different phases had been uncovered spanning the period from the later Bronze Age to the Medieval period (see Excavations 1989, 18; 1990, 48; 1991, 39 and 1992, 52). What is presented below is a summary of the results of the 1993 season and readers should refer to Excavations 1992 for a more general overview of the sequence.

As the close of the previous season's work, the possibility of there being an early prehistoric phase was postulated, pending the outcome of radiocarbon dating of charcoal from the primary fill of a large, enclosing fosse. The estimation returned a date-range of 4411+43 b.p. (3309-2919 cal. BC2?) confirming that it belongs to the Neolithic period. Further exposition of the fosse, (V- sectioned; 1.8m max. depth) this season suggests that its original ground-plan was sub-square or sub-rectangular, the exposed side measuring about 23m in length. The west end of the exposed portion has been truncated by the 'main' (Iron Age/late Bronze Age) fosse. Part of the foundation trench of a rectangular, timber building was dug into the fill of the Neolithic fosse in the south-east quadrant of the enclosure. Surviving as two, parallel foundation trenches 2.8m apart (long axis east-west), the west end of the building has been cut by the 'main' fosse and therefore its original length cannot be determined. The south wall trench, however, is 6.2m long, indicating the minimum length of the building. No datable material has been found associated with this structure and we have provisionally assigned it to the Neolithic period—though clearly later than the enclosure—on the basis of comparison with dated Neolithic houses. In should be noted however, that it is substantially smaller than the norm for Neolithic buildings and may in fact belong in the early Bronze Age. The east return of the south wall has been truncated during the digging of a palisade trench dated to the later Bronze Age (see below).

Evidence of late Neolithic or early Bronze Age activity emerged in the course of this season's work. Remains of a stone-packed, palisade trench c. 9m of which has been exposed to date (running roughly north-north-east/south-south-west), were uncovered near the centre of the main enclosure. The feature is not curving sufficiently to indicate whether or not it forms an enclosure, though such is likely to be the case. Stratigraphic analysis indicates that it is earlier than the later Bronze Age palisaded enclosure (erected in the 3rd (?) phase). Dating is provided by a body sherd from a smooth, well-fired pot of potentially late Neolithic or early Bronze Age date. West of this feature, in the north-west quadrant of the 'main' enclosure, a multi-ringed timber structure has been partially uncovered. Consisting of at least five concentric circles of free-standing (?) posts arranged radially about a central point, the structure currently measures about 9m in diameter. There is evidence that the posts were graded according to size, the smallest ones comprising the innermost circle and each additional ring made up of posts of increasing diameter. A series of post-pipes discovered in 1991 are probably part of the structure, belonging, possibly, to a sixth, seventh and eighth ring. The structure appears to pre-date Building A, radiocarbon-dated to 2565+22 b.p. (804-769 cal. B.C. 2?) and, if projected as a full circle of six concentric rings, overlaps with the 'main' fosse. The best-known Irish parallel is the 'Forty Metre Structure' at Navan Fort, Co. Armagh. Dating evidence for the Raffin specimen, however, suggests that it is older than the Navan structure by at least 800 years and that it is probably more appropriate to seek comparison with timber henges in Britain of similar date, such as those at Mount Pleasant, Dorset, and Durrington Walls, Wilts.

Further work on the Curving V- and U-sectioned trenches, one of which appears to replace the other, has revealed that they do not form an enclosure as previously postulated. Rather, they form a somewhat S-shaped feature running north-south across the site. It is difficult to be certain of the precise nature of their intersection with the 'main' fosse at the north end: that they taper at this point can be interpreted either as an accommodation to the fosse or as a product of the excavation of the fosse. There was possibly some deliberate back-filling of the trenches preparatory to the erection of a circular wicker (?) fence, c. 20m in diameter, some time during the Bronze Age. A substantial portion of this enclosure was exposed during the current season, including a possible entrance feature in the south-east. Apart from its stratigraphic position, there is no independent dating for this enclosure. Heretofore, we had postulated that it was contemporary with a deposit that yielded sherds of Coarse Ware (Flat-rimmed Ware) and a radiocarbon date of 2895+150 b.p. (1500-800 cal. BC, 2?), but we now believe that it is later. Finally, we have speculated elsewhere (Archaeology Ireland, Vol. 25, 21-22) that this wicker enclosure may originally have been conjoined with Building A, suggesting a comparison with Late Bronze Age activity at Navan Fort.

The aim of our work this year on Building A was to recover a charcoal sample to date the building. Carbonised wall timbers yielded the later Bronze Age date quoted above, thus confirming our suspicion that, although stratigraphically equivalent, it was earlier than House B which is dated to the Iron Age. In the course of this work we uncovered what is possibly one-half of a small, c. 5m diameter, house (Building C) contained within the south-west quadrant of Building A (no trace of the building was found outside Building A). A hearth pit located near the centre of Building C suggests that it was domestic. This structure pre-dates Building A.

We were able to demonstrate this year that the Late Bronze Age palisaded enclosure (2684+113 b.p.; 1100-530 cal. BC, 2?) was truncated during the digging of the 'main' fosse. We have not, however, been able to establish any relative chronology between the palisaded trench and Building A. If reconstructed as a complete circuit along its present trajectory (oval or sub-rectangular ground-plan; c. 23m north-south and 20m (?) east-west, it seems that the palisade would enclose both Buildings A and C. The close juxtaposition of Building A to the 'main' fosse suggests, on the other hand, that they may be formally related to one another and that it is Building C the relates to the palisaded enclosure.

Excavation of the Iron Age phases is quite complete at this stage. Further examination of the layout of five large pits has reinforced our belief that Building B (1676+168 b.p.; 30 BC -670 AD, cal BC, 2?) was surrounded by a circle (20m diameter) of free-standing poles, confirming, we believe, its status as a ceremonial site. Artefact dating of the building to the 1st-2nd centuries AD is supported in part by a radiocarbon date of 1975+50 b.p.; 100 BC - AD 120, cal 2?) returned for a fragment of the human cranium from the burial monument (see Excavations 1992, 52) discovered in 1992.

Readers are advised that the names of the two buildings were erroneously reversed by the writer in Excavations 1992, Building A should read Building B and vice versa.

29 The Green, Woodpark, Ballinteer, Dublin 16