County: Meath Site name: KNOWTH
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 19:30 Licence number: E70
Author: George Eogan, Dept. of Archaeology, University College Dublin
Site type: Megalithic tomb - passage tomb, Settlement cluster and Industrial site
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 699429m, N 773517m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.701880, -6.494157
This year's work was concentrated mainly in the southern and western areas of the site, with the five main archaeological phases described below being investigated.
(1a) Evidence for passage tomb construction
Work near the entrance to the Western Tomb produced evidence for four sockets of additional passage orthostats, nos A, B, C and D. Nos A and B are on the left (northern) side, C and D on the right-hand side as one enters the passage. Each socket was cut into the natural ground surface. Four large stones were found during the 1994 season in the fill of the outer ditch that surrounds the base of the mound of Passage Tomb 1 at a point 2.8m south of the entrance to the Western Tomb. The shape and size of the stones indicate that they could have been orthostats, and as four sockets came to light it is likely that they were removed from those sockets. As will be explained below, limited activity took place on the site at a level immediately overlying the primary fill. It was at this level that the orthostats were found.
(1b) Passage tomb art - Western Tomb
Part of this season's work was devoted to preparing line drawings of the relevant stones. As only restricted excavation has taken place, confined to a limited portion of the passage at and in from the present entrance, the full extent of the art is not known. In the small area excavated, eleven capstones were fully exposed. One of these was decorated on the upper surface. Sixty-six stones with art have been recorded in the Western Tomb. These consist of 39 orthostats, twelve capstones, thirteen corbels and two sillstones. All of these have been drawn at full size. An interesting aspect of the art in the Western Tomb is the considerable evidence for succession and overlays. Where such evidence exists the incised art is always the earliest and it is in the angular style.
(1c) Passage tomb ritual activity
Two stone settings came to light in the south-eastern area of the site, directly in front of Kerbstones 27–29. Both were similar in size and construction details, consisting of shallow scoops, 0.15m in maximum depth, which were dug into the subsoil. They were roughly circular in shape, measuring c. 2.5m in diameter. The stones were small and naturally rounded and were probably collected locally. They were not placed in a very regular manner.
Stratigraphically, both settings pre-date the over-lying Beaker Concentration E. In view of their form, these settings have an approximate resemblance to the settings in the neighbourhood of the entrances to both the Eastern and Western Tombs, but they have been less formally laid down and lack an edging. In view of the approximate similarity between these settings, plus the fact that they pre-date the Beaker horizon, they are being assigned to the passage tomb stage.
(2) Beaker activity
Again in the south-eastern area of the site further work took place in Beaker Concentration E. The area was defined by a spread of dark earth which covered a rectangular area 10.5m by 16.5m. This layer extended up to the kerbs of Passage Tomb 1. Structural features were limited and consisted of eight pits, two postholes and seven stakeholes. Most were centred in an area near the north-western edge and grouped close to the boundary. The only semblance of a shape was a line consisting of one posthole and four pits which were placed in an approximate east-west line diverging out from the line of the kerb of Passage Tomb 1. At the eastern end, but in a straight line, was a pit and a posthole. The area defined was triangular in shape, approximately 4.5m in maximum external length and 2.7m in external width at the eastern end.
Excavation continued underneath the post-medieval house in order to establish the eastern limits of the Beaker activity. The only associated features in this area were a posthole and a pit.
A total of 255 sherds of Beaker pottery, representing an estimated 38 vessels, were found in this concentration.
(3) Early Christian activity
As a result of investigations on the west side of Passage Tomb 1 occasioned by the conservation of Souterrain 4, a portion of the outer late Iron Age ditch which surrounds Passage Tomb 1 was excavated. After the initial natural filling of the base of the basal ditch in the Western Tomb area there was a period when the site was deserted; during that time the previously mentioned layer of silt formed over the fill. On its surface limited activity took place, possibly as early as the 5th–6th centuries AD. The area was 22m in overall length although 'structural' features were absent from the middle portion, that opposite to the Western Tomb. The northern portion had a spread of stones; in the southern part there were four possible orthostats (noted above) and a rough spread of stones. Overall this area of activity measured 3m by 2m wide.
(4) Medieval activity
On the south-east side of Passage Tomb 1 there were hearths, postholes, pits, a trench, a spread of stones and medieval pottery. The hearths consisted of small scoops cut into the layer of yellow, stoneless earth which sealed the underlying Beaker layer. Four vertical post-holes, 0.16–0.25m deep, were found directly to the north of the hearths.
Two pits running in a north-south direction were also found in this area; both were cut through to the old ground level. A large pit, 1.1m by 1.9m and 0.6m deep, also came to light; it was not possible to date this feature but it may belong to the medieval period. The upper portion of the fill was lined with stones, and shells were found throughout. Stones were also found in the southern portion of the fill but they decreased in number towards the bottom of the pit. The eastern edge of the pit ran under the eastern wall of the post-medieval house. On further examination of this section it was possible to see the cut of another pit within the larger pit. The pit was filled with dark and very crumbly material with tinges of yellow and green and it also contained shells and bones.
Also associated with this area is a trench feature, 0.11–0.14m deep, running in an east-west direction. Its fill consisted of dark charcoal-flecked clay containing fragments of shale. On the outer eastern limits of the post-medieval structure part of a second trench, 1.7m by 0.6m and 0.25m deep, was found. It was partly overlain by the structure.
Approximately forty sherds of medieval pottery were found in association with the above features: these included North Leinster cooking ware, temper-free, local hand-built and Drogheda-type. Iron slag was also found in the area.
(5) Post-medieval settlement
This evidence occurs on the south-east side of Passage Tomb 1. It consists of the remains of a rectangular house, 5.3m wide externally and 3.3m wide internally. These proportions suggest that the maximum length may have been approximately 10m externally. An entrance was not identified and within the structure there was no evidence for internal divisions. The drystone walls survived to a maximum height of 0.5m and in general were constructed of well-shaped blocks of various sizes-between 0.2m and 0.45m long. At one point, on the western side, a decorated stone derived from a passage tomb was used.
Despite its fairly uneven surface, considerable care was taken with the laying down of the floor. Initially, on the then existing surface, a layer of flattish stones were laid down. Throughout the surface of the floor sherds of post-medieval pottery were found, including Black and Brown ware, North Devon Gravel-Tempered ware and Staffordshire yellow ware.
A structure similar to this post-medieval house was excavated 13.5m to the east. The remaining portion was 2.2m wide by 2.9m long, with well-defined walls 0.8m in maximum thickness. The blocks were approximately 0.3m by 0.4m in length. It is 8.5m to the north of a similar structure excavated in 1992. There was one sherd of local hand-built pottery among the stones. Further excavation revealed no indication of any further parts of the walls.
Click on the link below for the Royal Irish Academy's online resource for Knowth Excavations:
