2013:153 - Rathnadrinna, Lalor’s-Lot, Tipperary

Rathnadrinna is a multi-vallate circular hilltop enclosure situated in Lalor’s-Lot townland, 3.33km south-east of Cashel, Co. Tipperary. The north-west corner of the site lies at 122m above Ordnance Datum. The hilltop affords extensive views across the adjacent low-lying land, ancient Feimhean, and is inter-visible with a number of high-status enclosures surrounding the Rock of Cashel. Approximately 20m north-east from the entrance to Rathnadrinna is a smaller fort (TS061-089002), not subject to any current excavation. A description of the site, its historical significance both locally and nationally and a summary of the investigations to date can be found in the Season One Excavations entry for 2012?.

The Season Two excavation was undertaken over five weeks between July and August 2013 staffed largely by volunteers, some of whom had archaeological experience. On-site training was provided for all volunteers by the supervisory staff. This season’s work focused on completing the excavation begun last year in Cuttings 1 and 2.

Cutting 1, Area A

Outside the fort a 15m² section of Cutting 1A was re-opened to complete the excavation of the narrow stone-lined slot-trench, possibly part of a structure. This revealed that the slot-trench had truncated two intercutting pits, of unknown date and function. No artefacts were recovered and the function of the slot-trench remains unknown. A nearby cereal-drying kiln found during Season One produced carbonised oat from the basal fill (68). This was radiocarbon dated to cal. AD 777–980 (UBA-24976). Similar kilns found in association with forts excavated on the Cashel Bypass dated between the 7th–11th centuries AD. This completed the Cutting 1A excavation, in total representing a 51m² area investigated outside the fort’s southern bank.

 

Cutting 1, Area B

In Cutting 1B a section was hand-excavated across each of the four upstanding fort banks. The outer two banks were found to be substantial ramparts, comprised of various layers of re-deposited clay and stones, sealing intermittent lenses of grey/brown paleosol. These layers were sampled for environmental data. Bank 2 was the most substantial with a number of compacted stone and clay layers laid down to form the rampart. The central ringfort ditch [50] excavated during Season One consisted of a silt layer (72), sealed by a layer of tightly-packed stones (62); sealed by a deep clay deposit (51) with occasional stones; sealed by an orange-coloured clay (29)—probably slumped bank material—and sealed by the uppermost deposit of clay and humic material (17). A localised lens of charcoal-rich clay (55) found within deposit (51) produced hazel nutshell radiocarbon dated cal. AD 890–991 (UBA-24974). This activity was contemporary with the cereal-drying kiln and provides late Eóganacht-era occupation in the fort. Further dates from the ditches will be required to determine the construction sequence of the fort itself.

The original ground surface was reached beneath each bank and definitive evidence of pre-fort activity in the form of stake-holes was found beneath three of the banks. These features were fully sampled and a worked flint was found sealed beneath the paleosol lens of Bank 3. Beneath Bank 4, the innermost fort rampart, a stake-hole cluster, charcoal-rich pits and a small area of fire-staining suggested likely structural evidence. As this area was not fully excavated due to time constraints it will be completed in Season Three. During the back-filling of Bank 4 a portion of a broken chert hollow-based, barbed arrowhead was recovered. This is likely to date to the Early Bronze Age.

 

Cutting 1, Area C

The pre-fort ditch [124]  that runs 300m+ across the hillside and lies beneath the ringfort was investigated during Season One. Willow charcoal from a secure, lower deposit (338) within the ditch has been radiocarbon dated to 748–405 cal. BC (UBA-24977). In addition, willow charcoal from pit [56] dug into the uppermost deposit of ditch [124] was radiocarbon dated 771–485 cal. BC (UBA-24975). It appears the digging of pit [56] was not an early medieval event, as first anticipated, although the willow sample could have derived from the earlier phase. Further excavation of ditch [124] is planned for Season Three. The dates are contemporary with Early Iron Age activity in townlands like Monadreela, Boscabell, George's-Land, Windmill and Hughes'-Lot East, excavated on the Cashel Bypass.

Additional portions of Cutting 1C and Cutting 2 were re-opened in Season Two. Cutting 1C, a 30m² investigation focused on excavating the cluster of pits, stake- and post-holes revealed in Season One. The southern side of a c. 4m-wide curving slot-trench was uncovered, with evidence of re-cuts along portions of its circuit. Initial analysis of a charcoal sample from the slot-trench showed that oak was used in its construction. A vast number of stake- and post-holes were uncovered nearby, which appeared to represent repeated replacement of posts and stakes within this area, perhaps for fences. Two small unworked crystals were found in two stake-holes but no other in situ finds were recovered. Due to the unprecedented number of features uncovered here the full excavation of the slot-trench is planned for Season Three.

 

Cutting 2

Cutting 2 measured 25m² and the full excavation of one of the potential pit-circle features, identified by geophysics, was a priority. The pit was found to be substantial, being over 2m wide, but did not contain any artefacts. Its fills had been partially cut by a smaller pit and once this later pit was sealed, a cluster of posts was erected. A sample of cherry charcoal was recovered from one of the post-holes sampled. A portion of a c. 30m curving feature (first noted in the geophysics) was also identified beside the pits and was verified as a flat-bottomed ditch. Once the ditch had been sealed a series of posts were erected along and within its circuit, with a number of smaller, thinner ditches also truncating it. It is possible this ditch and post arrangement represent a portion of a hengiform structure, pre-dating the use of the hilltop as a fort. No artefacts were retrieved from these features and their full excavation will be completed in Season Three.

Finds in Season Two included ex situ artefacts such as slag, worked stones, the chert arrowhead, flint and chert debitage. Finds from metal detection included a minié ball—a mid-19^th-century bullet—iron nails and a copper alloy/lead stud mount from a house-shaped shrine, inlaid in gold in a design of four entwined snakes surrounding the centre. The stud mount may suggest the fort was visited as part of a devotional circuit, and may support the notion of the fort being used as an Óenach site. Conversely, this object may have been made on site or brought there as loot. A preliminary examination of the stud mount suggests a date of around the 8th century, or perhaps earlier.

Four samples from Season One were analysed by Susan Lyons and sent for radiocarbon dating to the QUB Chrono Centre under the RIA radiocarbon dating program: carbonised oat from the basal layer of the cereal-drying kiln outside the fort; willow charcoal from the pre-ringfort linear ditch [124] inside the fort; willow charcoal from a pit cut into the top of ditch [124]; and carbonised hazel nutshell from a sealed charcoal-rich layer within one of the main fort ditches.

Definitive evidence of pre-fort activity in the form of clusters of stake-holes and/or pits was found beneath three of the fort banks. Based on the recovery of the ex situ chert arrowhead the earliest activity on the hilltop can now be traced back to the Early Bronze Age. What is most surprising for Cashel is the lack of Beaker pottery or any type of prehistoric pottery on the hilltop. Within Rathnadrinna fort itself the multiplicity of post-holes, stake-holes and pits suggest episodic use of the hilltop, reinforced by the Early Iron Age dates. The preliminary findings in Cutting 1C suggest the southern side of a curvilinear slot-trench structure c. 4m wide has been found, with evidence of nearby fencing/gullies. The northern side of this structure will be excavated in Season Three. The discovery of the post-holes lining the arcing ditch in Cutting 2 is intriguing and it is hoped that the relationship of this ditch with the pre-fort linear ditch [124] will be established through further excavation in Season Three.

The charcoal samples from Season One were analysed by Susan Lyons and submitted for radiocarbon dating to the QUB Chrono Centre under the RIA radiocarbon dating program. The excavation was fully funded by the Royal Irish Academy. The continuous generosity of the landowners is greatly appreciated.

Published work relating to the site can be found in O’Brien, R., Gimson, H. and Bonsall, J. 2011 Revealing royal Rathnadrinna. Current Archaeology 259, 26–33 and at www.facebook.com/rathnadrinna and

http://richardcashel.wordpress.com/2013/06/27/excavations-at-rathnadrinna-12e157-season-one-findings-and-plans-for-season-two/

 

Boscabell, Cashel, Co. Tipperary