County: Galway Site name: HIGH ISLAND
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 21:26 Licence number: 95E0124
Author: Georgina Scally
Site type: Ecclesiastical enclosure
Period/Dating: Medieval (AD 400-AD 1600)
ITM: E 450083m, N 757222m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.543513, -10.262070
Archaeological excavation at the site of High Island Oratory was undertaken for a period of ten days during August 1995. The site, located in well-sheltered ground at the south-west side of the island, consists of an oratory, enclosure wall and two beehive cells. Three trenches were opened for excavation.
Trench 1 measured 6m north-south by 2.8m east-west and was located between the east wall of the church and the eastern enclosure wall. Stone collapse was removed to fully expose the eastern wall of the church, together with eight stone-lined graves. The graves were individually marked by horizontally laid stone slabs, some of which were extensively decorated. Vertically placed headstones, associated with each of the graves, formed part of the foundation course of stones in the east wall of the church. Six of the eight graves also had stone foot-markers, of which a number were crudely decorated with incised crosses. The graves were surrounded by a layer of rough paving, throughout which a number of broken, and in some cases decorated, fragments of grave-slabs were recovered. In the southern area of the trench a small area of extremely well-preserved paving was exposed beneath the more coarse paving; this was not fully uncovered. A full-length and intact skeleton was removed from one of the stone-lined graves. This was examined by Barra Ó Donnabháin who has estimated it to be a male in excess of 50 years of age. C14 analysis is being undertaken at present.
Trench 2 measured 1.4m east-west, 1m north-south and was located in the north-east corner of the church interior. The trench was bounded on its southern side by a stone altar which was centrally placed at the east end of the church. Beneath rabbit-disturbed surface deposits the remains of an extended skeleton were uncovered. Unfortunately only the lower part of this individual was contained within the excavation trench. Analysis of this individual by Barra Ó Donnabháin has identified it to be male and between 20 and 30 years of age. Excavation was terminated after the burial was removed; further deposits remain in situ.
Trench 3 measured 0.6–2.4m east-west, 0.8–2.5m north-south and was located through the doorway at the western end of the oratory. Two levels of activity were identified, the earliest of which was a layer of extremely well-preserved paving which was identified both inside and outside the oratory. The second level of activity was identified by a rough stone surface of as yet unknown date.
A second season of excavation is being proposed for 1996.
81 Upper Leeson St., Dublin 4
