uas newsletter summer 2013

1

EDITOR: Duncan Berryman. School of Geography, Archaeology & Palaeoecology, Queen's

University Belfast, BELFAST, BT7 1NN Email: [email protected]

THE ULSTER ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY

2

FROM THE EDITOR As always, the Ulster Archaeological Society has been busy with its range of activities, from lectures and field trips to surveys and excavations. We really have been able to participate in all aspects of archaeology over the past few months. We have also had all types of weather during that time, which did not deter the members but the ‘arctic blizzard’ did postpone the Survey Group’s research trip to the Ulster Folk Museum. While we have been busy with archaeology or just enjoying the sun when it appears, our politicians in Stormont have been discussing the new Planning Bill to be introduced to Northern Ireland. The National Trust and other heritage and nature organisations are concerned that this bill does not go far enough in protecting our national heritage, particularly our World Heritage Sites and their landscapes. You can find out more and show your support at www.amendthebill.org I hope everyone has an archaeology filled summer!

Duncan Berryman Newsletter Editor

Belfast Hills Heritage Festival 2013 Make a sizzling summer date for another action-‐packed heritage festival in the Belfast Hills, running from 29 June to 8 July! The Belfast Hills Partnership reveals the hidden history of the hills during this 10 day series of events guaranteed to be fun for all the family. Enter a world of fantasy and enchantment on our children’s storytelling day at Belfast Castle with tall tales and poetry inspired by the unbelievably enormous Cave Hill diamond! Go fossil hunting to dig out some dinosaur bones, grab your wellies and go pond dipping for water creatures, and get creative at our traditional arts and crafts fair at Clifton House – Belfast’s old poorhouse! Hop on our bus tour at the launch of the Belfast Hills Townlands publication, and learn about the history of our local placenames. Become a jailbird to hear songs and stories of the hills locked inside Crumlin Road Gaol and learn about the amazing array of archaeological bootie found at the largest community excavation on Divis Mountain. Booking is required for most events, so liven up your summer now and get in touch! www.belfasthills.org or 90603466

3

ULSTER ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY EVENTS

Lectures 8pm Elmwood Building, Queen’s University Belfast

Monday 30th September – Finbar McCormick (QUB): Struell Wells Monday 28th October – John Gillis (TCD): The Faddan More Psalter – A spectacular

find in Co. Tipperary Monday 18th November – Philip Macdonald (QUB): Excavating with Time Team –

Dundrum Castle, Co. Down Monday 9th December – Nora Bermingham: Drumclay, Co. Fermanagh – A most

surprising Crannog

Field trips Monday 5th August – Evening field trip: Walking tour of Newtownards Saturday 17th August – Day field trip: Circuit of the Mournes Mid September – Continental Trip: Portugal

NIEA LECTURES Northern Ireland Environment Agency 2013 programme of public lectures in the Monuments and Buildings Record (MBR). The lectures will take place in the public reading room of Waterman House, 5-‐33 Hill Street, Belfast, BT1 2LA at 1pm. Information: 028 90 543 159 or email [email protected]. Admission is free. All welcome. Space is limited at these talks, so please come early to avoid disappointment. Friday 5th July -‐ Jonathan Barkley and Colin Dunlop, Northern Archaeological Consultancy: Enigmatic Structures on the A8 Road Scheme. Friday 2nd August -‐Dr Geraldine Carville, Historian and Author: Secrets of Cistercian Music in Ireland 1142-1541: Cistercian Abbey Churches Where the Very Stones Sing the Psalms. Friday 20th September 1:00pm -‐ Liam McQuillan, NIEA: Consolidating Ruins: Some recent projects on Scheduled Masonry Monuments. 6:00pm -‐ Terence Reeves-‐Smyth, NIEA: The Flowering Legacy: The Parks and Gardens of the National Trust in Northern Ireland.

4

SURVEY GROUP As with many organisations, the weather has interfered with our survey programme this season and the snow in March forced us to abandon our planned outing to the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum at Cultra. We had hoped to learn about the construction and sizes of vernacular houses, as we have encountered the remains of several of these during our surveys. Hopefully, we will be able to arrange this later in the year, as we have already surveyed two more vernacular houses since then and it would be very helpful to get an idea of what we are looking at! The first survey was in April, at the National Trust Divis and Black Mountain property, close to the upper reaches of the Colin River. Here, we found the remains of a two-‐room cottage, with an unusual apse-‐like feature (strange how these cottages are all different!) and a well-‐defined trackway adjacent to it. The bright but cold weather was kind to us and we were able to complete the survey with time to spare. Our second site in May was at the nearby excavations at Divis Barn, where the remains of another vernacular house (also different!) were uncovered during the recent public-‐access excavation. This was a collaborative project between the Belfast Hills Partnership, National Trust and Centre for Archaeological Fieldwork, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Northern Ireland Environment Agency: Built Heritage. The Survey Group were invited to plan the site and excavation trenches as part of the UAS contribution and this was achieved in what could only be described as challenging conditions, with frequent hail showers and strong winds. Thankfully, we were able to warm up in the nearby warden’s base, although this was bursting at the seams with other groups, such as Young Archaeologists Clubs. Despite the weather, a good day was had by all and congratulations to Mal Conway and Lizzy Pinkerton for organising the event so well. Our surveys this season have been greatly enhanced by the provision of marker flags and walkie-‐talkie radios, which were recently purchased by the UAS Committee for the Survey Group, which make identifying features and communication much easier at large sites -‐ no more yelling at each other across the field. We are currently working on the programme for the rest of the season, trying to get a short-‐list of sites to survey. However, in July we hope to survey a previously unrecorded crannog in a dried out lake in County Down. No further details are available yet, but this should be an extremely interesting exercise and our first crannog! As always, we welcome new members to the Survey Group, so why not come along and join in?

Harry Welsh Fieldwork Co-ordinator

5

UAS TRIP TO DONEGAL Forty three UAS members were registered for this trip. In the event 41 attended –our Secretary Ken Pullin and Maureen George did not make it, as Ken’s car broke down on the journey, despite having just passed the MOT test that morning! The group was based in Killybegs for the weekend, convening on Friday night for an early start on Saturday morning. Our event organiser and tour guide extraordinaire, Anne MacDermott, ensured that everything ran like clockwork throughout the weekend. Prior to the trip, Anne spoiled us in her customary manner by supplying a very comprehensive set of notes and illustrations (electronic copies) describing the monuments to be visited. The itinerary followed was as outlined below and includes a brief description of the monuments (summarised from Annes’s copious notes):

Day 1, Saturday 4 May: MALIN MORE COURT TOMB (Cloghanmore), OS Sheet 10 Grid Ref 518826 This part of Donegal, close to Glencolmcille, has several examples of Neolithic court tombs. Malin More is a particularly fine example of a full court tomb, that is to say, the facade of the court completes a full circle – or more precisely in this case an oval -‐ with a narrow entrance opposite a parallel pair of chambers. The monument has been considerably restored, but the huge cairn is retained within its kerb stones much as it was originally built. Another unusual feature is the small subsidiary chambers opening into the court, on either side of the entrance gap through the cairn. Even more unusually, each of these chambers is flanked by a decorated stone. In the 1840s the tomb was discovered by peat diggers who dug it out and for years it was used as a quarry by road and building contractors. The Board of Works finally cleared up the site and reconstructed it in 1886-‐7 using the tumbled cairn material, though the accuracy may be questionable. Unfortunately, there is no record of what, if any artefacts were found. When Borlase visited the site in 1888, shortly after the Board of Works restoration, he was told that “some few objects, such as pottery” had been found.

MALIN MORE PORTAL TOMB COMPLEX, OS 1:50000 Sheet 10 Grid Ref 501826 Although in poor condition, this series of portal tombs is worth visiting as it is unique in Ireland. There are many portal tombs in Donegal but at this site are the remains of six

6

tombs arranged in a rough line, with the possibility of a destroyed 7th one between the two most easterly tombs. The entire complex appears to have been contained in a single cairn over 90m long, though this is not apparent now. The site is on the south side of a little river valley and is aligned west-‐east.

There is a huge block of quartz, built into the field wall running along the lane beside the monuments, which may have had some significance to the site.

There are no known finds from the site. It has recently been the focus of a geophysical survey. GLENCOLMCILLE Gleann Cholm Cille – meaning ‘The Valley of St. Columba’ – is in the heart of the Gaeltacht, people come from all over the world to learn the Gaelic language and traditions. Oideas Gael is the local summer college for these activities among others. THE FOLK VILLAGE, OS Sheet 10 Grid Ref 522845 This was our venue for lunch, followed by a guided tour. We also had sufficient time for personal explorations.

7

The Folk Village Museum, is a cluster of several small cottages, or ‘clachan’, perched on a hillside overlooking the sandy curve of Glen Bay Beach in the Gaeltacht (Irish-‐speaking area) of South West Donegal. It was the initiative of a dynamic Donegal priest, Father James McDyer. It opened in 1967 with three cottages, built and furnished in just three months through local community effort. At the time of Father McDyer’s arrival in 1951 the parish of Glencolmcille was suffering from a long-‐standing cycle of unemployment and emigration. Over the next three decades, Father McDyer worked to help break this cycle, lobbying for amenities, organising community projects and supporting the development of local industries, many of which, like the Folk Village, are still successful today. New cottages and exhibits have been added over the years, and the Folk Village Museum is still very much a community concern. Local people regularly donate time, expertise, artefacts, stories and photographs. Three of the cottages are exact replicas of the type of dwelling used by the local people in each of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries and is equipped with the furniture, artefacts and utensils of its particular period. A reconstructed school house, fisherman’s dwelling and tiny pub-‐grocer offer additional insights into rural Irish life in one of the most remote corners of the country.

ST COLUMBA’S C of I CHURCHYARD, OS Sheet 10 Grid Ref 535850 The site of St Columba’s C of I church has long been associated with an early ecclesiastical site founded by St Colmcille (St Columba). Although there are records of some traces of a circular enclosure on the north and east sides of the present churchyard, nothing now remains to be seen. Geophysical survey undertaken in 2007/8 has however, shown up some interesting features, which indicates that there, was indeed early activity around this site. There are other features still remaining which point to use in the Early Christian period and continued use to the present day.

8

Just south of the present church is the modern entrance to a souterrain, which also indicates early use of the site. At the east end of the graveyard are a number of Early Christian grave slabs. A cross pillar, now broken is the 15th and final Station of the Glencolmcille Turas. A number of cross slabs have also been incorporated into the souterrain (Photo below). There are other interesting gravestones, including several early 19th c ones carved with angels, adopted as a symbol for the parish.

Just to the west of the churchyard are the jumbled remains of a megalithic tomb, possibly a court tomb. It is used as Station 1 of the Turas and incorporates a kneeling niche on its west side.

9

A little further to the west is Station 2, marked by a fine cross slab placed on a rocky outcrop.

10

KILCLOONEY MORE PORTAL TOMBS, OS Sheet 10 Grid Ref 722967 After a brief stop at the local Dolmen Centre, the final monument visited on day 1 brought us to one of the most photographed monuments in Ireland. It consists of the remains of two portal tomb chambers, one just over 9m behind the other, in the slight remains of a long mound aligned NNE–SSW. One chamber, orientated NE–SW, stands 5m from the NNE end of the mound. The other, a very small one, is 5.5m from the SSW end of the mound, on roughly the same orientation. The remnants of a low mound, trapezoidal in outline, measures 26m NE–SW, narrows from about 17m at the NE to about 8m at the SW. A modern field wall runs NW–SE across the mound between the two chambers. The Northeastern Portal Tomb The chamber is 2m long and 1.4m wide internally. The entrance at the NE is formed by two longitudinally set portal-‐stones with an intervening sillstone. A single stone, more or less in line with the adjoining portal-‐stone, forms each side of the chamber. A tall stone at the SW and a lesser stone beside it mark the back of the chamber. On the ground immediately outside the southern end of the western sidestone is a large wedge-‐shaped slab, which may have originally rested on the sidestone serving as a corbel. A massive roofstone covers the chamber, resting on a pad-‐stone on top of the backstone and on the two portal-‐stones. The roofstone is 4.2m in overall length. It is 3.7m wide at the front and for just over the initial one-‐third of its length is not less than 3.5m wide. It narrows steadily beyond this and is about 1m wide at the back. It is 0.7m thick at the front, increases to a maximum of 0.9m above the portal stones and decreases steadily beyond that to 0.3m at the back. A few small sherds of plain Neolithic pottery picked from the floor of this chamber were acquired by the National Museum in 1958.

11

The Southwestern Portal Tomb The smaller chamber is 1.5m long and 1m wide internally. The entrance consists of two well-‐matched, longitudinally set portal stones with a sillstone between their inner ends. A single stone forms each side of the chamber, the eastern one in line with the portal stone beside it, and the western set outside the line of the other portal-‐stone. The chamber is closed by an inward-‐leaning backstone. The backstone is set beyond the end of the eastern sidestone and leans against it. It also leans against the inner face of the western sidestone, which disappears into the ground beside the backstone and may extend beyond it. A lintel rests on the portal-‐stones and supports the front of a roofstone, the back of which rests on the backstone. The roofstone has slipped sideways and now rests on the west end of the lintel. Its western edge dips groundward and at the rear rests against a long narrow stone, apparently a corbel, lying on and largely concealing the western sidestone. A displaced slab in the chamber now leans against the eastern sidestone and rises considerably above it. The original role of this stone is unclear. A watercolour of this monument dated 1799, but based on an older drawing shows that the roofstone of the smaller tomb was then in place above the chamber. However, it had become ‘partly dislodged’ by 1847.

At the end of day one, despite the bracing weather conditions, the group returned to our hotel in Killybegs in good spirits and enjoyed the traditional communal dinner and refreshments.

12

Day 2, SUNDAY 5 MAY The planned trip to Inisheel Island had to be abandoned, because of inaccessibility due to high tides. So the first site visited was: The Reliq, OS sheet 10, Grid Ref 750775 –near Dunkineely. This early Christian (6th c) site is associated with St Conall. It is known locally as the Relig (graveyard) and was used later to bury unbaptised children, i.e. it is a cillin. No remains of the early church survive, as presumably it was a wooden structure. Within the enclosure are seven small stone cairns (left by pilgrims?). Two cairns had cross inscribed stones on top, one of which has recently gone missing.

St Conall’s Well, OS Sheet 10 Grid Ref 751775 This well is located a little further up the lane from the Relig and is surrounded by a large cairn of stones

13

Killaghtee old Church and Cross, OS Sheet 10 Grid Ref 754755 Killaghtee takes its name from Aedh’s Leacht or grave, after an early monk named Aedh (Hugh) who founded a small oratory here. The C12th church is in poor condition, but still retains some interesting architectural details, particularly the stonework around the east window.

The Killaghtee Cross, dating to Aedhs time (C7th) and allegedly making his grave, is located in the church graveyard. It is about 1.8m tall and is decorated on one side with a Maltese style cross within a circle. Just below the cross on the right side is a faint carved three-‐fold knot (triqueta), believed to represent the Trinity. The style marks the early transition from inscribed slab to sculptured high cross.

14

Killaghtee Standing stones (on private land), OS Sheet 10 grid Ref 757 751 This pair of standing stones are located a short distance south east of the churchyard and are orientated ENE-‐WSW. The clothes line strung between the stones in the photo below is not thought to be an original feature.

Rahan Castle, OS Sheet 10 Grid Ref 757 751 The scant remains of this C15th castle can be seen on a rocky promontory near the shoreline. It was once the chief stronghold of the MacSweeney (MacSuibhne) clan, gallowglasses of the O’Donnells, who later defected to the O’Neill side in their clashes with the O’Donnells .

15

CASHELTOWN TRIPLE WEDGE TOMB, OS Sheet 10 Grid Ref 768775 This limestone monument consists of the remains of a round kerb around 10m in diameter enclosing three galleries, each facing SSW, set side by side. This complex structure stands in a low round mound, not more than 0.5m high. The mound extends 0.75–2.5m beyond the kerb and measures 13.5–14.5m across. A layer of heather-‐grown peat on top of the surviving roofstones indicates that the monument was covered by bog, probably until recent centuries. Apparent cupmarks on many of the stones are probably natural. Twelve kerbstones survive in situ. The Western Gallery The western gallery, now open to the SSW, is 5m in overall length. A septal-‐stone divides it into a portico and a main chamber. A large roofstone, possibly slightly displaced, covers almost the entire main chamber and indicates a decrease in gallery height from SSW to NNE.

The Middle Gallery The middle gallery is 6.1m in overall length. Two orthostats standing end to end and slightly askew to each other divide the gallery in two. The portico, to the SSW, 2.5m long, is represented by two orthostats of its western side. A displaced slab, 1.2m by

16

0.45m by 0.15m thick, lies across the gallery immediately N of the last two stones. Its original function is not clear. The main chamber is 3m long, and it narrows from 1.3m wide at the S to 1m at the N. Five orthostats form each side. A slab, 1m by 0.4m by 0.2m thick, lies flat on top of the fourth of these five orthostats. The backstone, which is somewhat lower than the sidestones, is set beyond the ends of the gallery sides. A large roofstone that covers the greater part of the main chamber may have slipped northward somewhat. It is 4m long, 1.8m wide at mid-‐length, narrowing to either end, and 0.3–0.4m thick. It rests on the two innermost sidestones at the E side of the chamber and on the slab, mentioned above, laid on one of the sidestones of the W side. The disposition of the roofstone indicates a decrease in chamber height toward the N. The Eastern Gallery The eastern gallery is 2.5m in overall length and stands alongside the northern half of the middle gallery. It is 0.6m wide at the open SSW end and widens to 0.8m at the back. It is roofed by a single slab. This structure is incomplete, and what survives appears to be the greater part of the main chamber of a gallery similar in design to the other two. The claim in an OS Revision Name Book (1847–9) that the entire structure, i.e. the three galleries, contained six ‘caves’ would support this. Three sidestones remain at either side of this gallery, and there is a backstone at its northern end. The roofstone is 2.4m long, 1.5m wide and 0.3m thick. It rests on the outer two orthostats on the E side of the gallery and on a small thin stone resting on top of the middle orthostat on the W side. Unlike the roofstones on the other two galleries, this one rises slightly toward the N. Quite a number of stones lie around the site. Some are clearly displaced, and others, partly embedded in the ground, are of uncertain status. None exceeds 1.35m in maximum dimension. An entry in an OS Revision Name Book (1847–9) records that human bones of ‘more than ordinary size’ had a short time previously been found in a ‘stone trough’ in one of the ‘caves’ on the E side of the structure. Nothing further is known of this.

Middle & Eastern Galleries

17

This complex monument, the only instance of its kind in Ireland, seems to belong to the wedge tomb tradition. This is suggested by the orientation of the galleries, the mode of segmentation of the two better preserved ones, the placement of the large roofstones directly on the gallery sides, and the increase in width and height of the two better-‐surviving galleries to the SSW. DONEGAL CASTLE, OS Sheet 11 Grid Ref 929785 The Annals of the Four Masters mention Donegal Castle in 1505, in relation to the death of its builder, Hugh Roe O’Donnell, ruler of Tyrconnell. He is attributed, with his wife Nuala, of founding the Franciscan Friary at the same time, c.1474/5. This original castle comprised a three-‐storey tower house set in the north corner of a bawn, on a rocky bluff above a loop of the River Eske. It may have been built on the site of the old Viking longphort, (the original Dún na nGall which translates as Fort of the Foreigner) of which nothing remains. In 1589 the castle was burned and in 1595, during the Nine Years War, it was partly destroyed. In 1607, after the Nine Years war the leaders of the O'Donnell clan left Ireland in the Flight of the Earls. In 1611 the castle and its lands were granted to an English Captain, Basil Brooke. The keep had been severely damaged by the departing O'Donnells to prevent the castle being used against the Gaelic clans but was quickly restored by its new owners. Brooke added new windows, gables and a large wing to the keep, all in the Jacobean style. During the Williamite Wars the castle was successfully defended against the Jacobite forces. The Brooke family owned the castle for many generations until it fell into a ruinous state in the 18th century.

18

DONEGAL FRIARY, OS 1:50000 Sheet 11 Grid Ref 926780 Of a relatively late date, Donegal Friary was founded in around 1474 by the first Red Hugh O’Donnell (1427-‐1505) and his wife Nuala O’Brien for the Franciscan Observant friars. It was laid out in typical Franciscan style, comprising a nave and chancel church with a single aisle and transept on the south side and the cloister and domestic ranges on the north side. Its chequered history means that relatively little remains to any great extent today, though the layout can still be seen. However, some of the walls have been rebuilt up to present ground level after OPW excavations, as the prolonged use of the site as a burial ground has raised the ground up to 1.75m above the original level. The friary existed intact up to 1588 when it was pillaged by English forces who garrisoned the site. In 1592, the second Red Hugh O’Donnell (1572-‐1602) drove them out and the friars returned and started to repair the damage. The renegade Niall Garbh O’Donnell, siding with the English, seized the friary in 1601 and in the ensuing struggle with his cousin, Red Hugh, the friary was almost destroyed by the explosion of the gunpowder store and the consequential fire. Following the “Flight of the Earls”, the friary was granted to Sir Basil Brooke and the church was used briefly for Protestant worship. The building, probably mostly derelict, seems to have again been occupied by the Franciscans. The Annals of the Four Masters "were begun on the 22nd day of the month of January, A.D. 1632, in their convent of Donegal;" and "they were finished in the same convent of Donegal on the 10th day of August, A.D. 1636, the eleventh of the reign of King Charles." The scant remains have a lovely situation on the banks of the River Eske as it flows out to Donegal Bay. There are a number of interesting grave slabs displayed within the church ruins.

19

DONEGAL RAILWAY MUSEUM, OS Sheet 11 Grid Ref 931787 This museum tells the story of the narrow gauge railways of Donegal. The County Donegal Railway and the Londonderry & Lough Swilly Railway, at 225 miles, once formed the largest narrow gauge railway system in northwest Europe. The story is told through informative large illustrated wall-‐boards, and on a variety of DVDs shown in two locations on audio-‐visual systems. A variety of beautifully constructed models in various scales, some of which can be seen working, also tell the story and give an insight into how the railways worked. There is a large digitised collection of Donegal railway photos, a selection of which is on automatic presentation for visitors. There are several items of restored County Donegal Railway rolling stock as well as others in the process of being restored.

Conclusions This was a most interesting weekend in scenic South-‐West Donegal, with its superlative megalithic monuments. Special thanks are due to Anne MacDermott for all the hard work in planning, organising and leading such a memorable field trip. Despite the chilly spring weather, everyone thoroughly enjoyed the event. So here’s looking forward to Portugal and next year’s trip to County Tipperary.

20

FEBRUARY LECTURE The Society’s February lecture was given by Dr Michelle Comber, lecturer in archaeology at NUI Galway and director of the Caherconnel Archaeological Field School. The field school was set up in 2010 to build on earlier community excavations at Caherconnel and to contribute to the wider project investigating the early medieval Burren. In 2005, a survey of early medieval settlement in Clare revealed that stone ringforts were exceptionally well preserved in the Burren. An area in the centre of the Burren was selected for a more detailed survey. This survey showed that the uplands preserved an extensive landscape of medieval settlement, with clusters of two or more ringforts at the centre of a complex of fields and buildings. Caherconnel was chosen for an excavation to reveal more about this landscape. This site sits in an archaeologically rich landscape, with Poulnabrone dolmen to the south, and major communication routes cross near the fort. There is also a good record of the history of the area and how the site passed from the Corcomruad and the O’Loughlins. The excavation of the main cashel has been ongoing since 2007 and has revealed a number of phases of occupation. The cashel is over 40m in diameter, twice that of others in the Burren, and the walls are currently 3m thick and 3m high. The earliest phase on the site was a C7th fire pit that predated the cashel. The main occupation and use formed the second phase, dating to the C10th/C11th. This suggests quite a late construction date for the cashel. Reconstruction and alteration to the site indicate successive phases of occupation. Phase 6, dating to the C15th/C16th, was the final human occupation of the site, when a rectangular house was constructed and the cashel entrance was reworked. The excavations uncovered many finds that reveal much about daily life within the cashel. There were a number of objects that suggested metalworking had taken place on the site; while quern stones, a bone weaving sword and other domestic utensils indicate the domestic industries that also took place within the cashel. Along with these mundane items were high status objects, such as weaponry, a harp pin, quartz beads and other bronze objects for personal ornamentation. These artefacts, combined with the large cashel’s prominent position in an agriculturally and historically important landscape, show that this was a high status site. The late date for this cashel may indicate that the Gaelic lords were choosing to imitate the lifestyle of their ancestors while the Anglo-‐Normans were creating their kingdom elsewhere in Ireland. Investigation of other features within the cluster of monuments have also revealed interesting results. A pit in a neighbouring field was found to be a natural hollow that had been used for a small bee hive cell and contained many semi articulated animal bones and traces of cremated brain. Carbon dating linked these bones to the main occupation of the cashel. The partial skeleton of an adolescent was found in the entranceway, this was dated to C15th/C16th. It may have been remains discovered in an O’Loughlin burial ground that were placed in a bag and deposited in this hollow.

21

A smaller site to the south east of the main cashel has also been investigated. This was a sub-‐square structure that is clearly not circular and had a number of walls visible within. The earliest habitation phase contained two structres, one appears to have been the main house and was about 7m across. Later occupation shows the enclosure was altered and walls were built across the corners to reduce its size. There would have been two or three houses in the centre of this enclosure at any one time and the surrounding area was managed for a number of different activities. The artefact assemblage shows a range of domestic activities, from quern stones for grinding corn to spindlewhorls for spinning yard to slag from iron smithing. But there were also high status goods, such as ringed pins, imported pebbles, knives and glass beads. It is not clear why this monument was constructed so differently to the main cashel, as it appears to have housed a similar status of people and is of the same age. It is possible that these people served a particular function in the society, possibly as tax collectors. There are still many questions to answer at Caherconnel, such as the date of the middle enclosure and how the monuments are related. The excavation of the main cashel will also continue, so long as there are students for the field school. But what is clear is that the Burren, and Caherconnel in particular, provides an excellent opportunity to study the development of a landscape from prehistory to modern times, without influence from outside groups, such as the Vikings.

Treasures of the Middle Ages: Archaeological Finds from Poland A new exhibition of stunning jewellery from medieval Poland has just opened at Down County Museum. The exhibition provides visitors with the opportunity to see an incredible range of artefacts made to an extremely high level of skill and quality and to learn more about Polish history and culture. The exhibition, a travelling exhibition from the State Archaeological Museum in Warsaw, is at Down County Museum as a result of an ongoing partnership between the two museums since 2007, which has included the regular exchange of exhibitions between the organisations. Treasures of the Middle Ages: Archaeological Finds from Poland is on show at Down County Museum until 22 September. The exhibition provides a rare opportunity to see such a fantastic collection of beautiful, medieval, European objects displayed together so is sure to be a popular attraction this summer. The tour of the display to Northern Ireland has been made possible by a generous grant from the Polish Cultural Institute in London. A number of events will accompany the exhibition including an Archaeology for All day on 22 June and a series of children’s craft days to make necklaces and other items inspired by the display on 6, 20, 27 July and 3 and 17 August. The exhibition is open daily and admission is free. Contact Down County Museum on 028 446 15 218 for more details.

22

MARCH LECTURE The Society’s March lecture was given by Dr Mark Gardiner, senior lecturer in Medieval Archaeology at Queen’s University Belfast. Mark’s lecture highlighted some of the interesting results from a project to survey part of the Antrim Plateau. The landscape of the Garron Plateau, between Glenarriff and Glencloy, was brought to Mark’s attention through Cormac Bourke, who thought he had found a booley hut. Together they discovered that much more archaeology survived within this upland landscape than had been recorded. Previous work on the palaeoenvironment showed that there was clearance and cultivation in the Bronze Age and another clearance in the early medieval period. An excavation outside Carnlough prompted some consideration of the landscape and use of aerial photography, but this was not fully carried out. The current project has sought to map and classify all the archaeological features within this area. There is some evidence of arable cultivation, but many of the monuments suggest pastoral agriculture. There are the clear remains of roundhouses about 5m in diameter and many are within larger enclosures, these may have been used to keep animals close to the houses. A number of much larger enclosures must be explained as large stock enclosures to gather herds before they were moved to the lowland. The landscape is covered with long stone walls; these create strip fields of up to 1km in length. The walls often follow natural boundaries, such as rivers, and therefore are not imposed on the landscape, but created by people who knew the land. There is also evidence of late-‐medieval or post-‐medieval cultivation and settlement. A number of rectangular houses were placed on top of earlier cultivation ridges, facing north to avoid the wind and sheltered under escarpments. Small areas were attempted to be improved, although not for potato beds. A boundary wall was constructed, possibly to keep animals on the open plateau, and was expanded over this last period of occupation. By the C19th, this landscape had become peripheral and was only used for grazing livestock and turf cutting. This project has shown that many unrecorded monuments can survive in uplands and that it is possible to map them and record the evolution of these landscapes over centuries. But two key questions have emerged from this research. The first one is whether these landscapes were actually peripheral, or were they a continuation of what has now been lost through improvement at lower altitudes? The second is whether the Garron Plateau is unique, or are there many ‘lost’ landscapes in upland areas across Ulster and Ireland? Working mostly at weekends and often in poor weather conditions (snow and lack of vegetation helps to make the sites visible), this has been a difficult task for the small team that have undertaken the survey. However, the results are a credit to their dedication and have shown a new direction in the archaeology of Ulster that needs to be explored further.

23

European Heritage Open Days 2013 celebrates Ulster’s built heritage

This year’s European Heritage Open Days (EHOD) weekend, falls on Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th September, and celebrates the importance of our own built heritage for all. Events over the weekend include sites, buildings and tours describing Northern Ireland’s archaeological heritage, as well as our connections to a shared history with the European Union. This year there are over 300 NIEA built heritage sites amongst others for the public to visit -‐ all absolutely free.

Tours from site or subject experts will be offered free to the public. Of special interest to UAS members, Ruairi O’Baoill, archaeologist and author of ‘Carrickfergus – The story of the Castle and the Walled Town’ will lead a walking tour of Carrick’s walls and discuss the archaeological discoveries that told its story.

Knockmany Passage Tomb (H 547 559) in Clogher, will also have an NIEA archaeologist and expert on hand from 2 – 5pm on Sunday 15th September to discuss this fine example of a megalithic monument. Dr Finbar McCormack of Queen’s University will also lead a walking tour of Killough in County Down, visiting the village’s most important sites and buildings including the village’s former grain store.

For those of you who have not yet visited the An Creagan Visitor Centre in Omagh, housing an audiovisual exhibition showcasing key artefacts discovered from surrounding excavation sites dating back to the Iron and Bronze Ages, the weekend presents you the perfect opportunity between 11am – 5pm on the 14th and 15th September.

An in-‐depth living history programme, spanning over 25 NIEA sites and properties, gives visitors the chance to be entertained by actors embodying the key cultural aspects of a broad range of historic periods. From a 17th century horrible histories Barber-‐Surgeon at Bellaghy Bawn, County Derry~Londonderry, to meeting a 6th century Early Christian Celtic monk at Devenish Island who will be inviting the public to try their hand at 6th century scripture, the living history re-‐enactments are always popular with families.

While offering the chance to discover some of the on-‐going excavation and built heritage preservation work occurring across the province, this year also hails the celebrations of Derry~Londonderry as the City of Culture 2013. EHOD will celebrate this with culture itself as its theme, with plenty of cultural events to enjoy at sites across Northern Ireland. EHOD will be offering a complementary Cultural Programme.

One major event commemorates 50 years since the passing of poet Louis MacNeice CBE; the Arts Council will be inviting the public to come to MacNeice House during EHOD to hear 10 of Northern Ireland’s finest poets celebrating his work, as well as take a tour around their fine Victorian Headquarters building.

There will be a whole host of literature, poetry, visual arts events and creative workshops happening over the 14th and 15th September, including an Observational Drawing workshop at the Ulster Hall with Artist and Teacher, Julie Douglas, and a Medieval Combat Workshop where members can discover the fighting styles utilised throughout the 12th and 13th centuries. Members are invited to look out for the launch of the EHOD website, (www.discoverni.com/niea/ehod) mid-‐August to book their place, as some of these experiences will have limited spaces available.

To look out for the launch, ‘Like’ the EHOD Facebook Page (Facebook.com/EHODNI), follow EHOD on twitter @EHODNI, or alternatively contact 028 90 543022 for more information.

24

BOOKS

Belfast 400 Edited by Prof. Sean Connolly (QUB), £14.95 This book has been published to mark the 400th anniversary of Belfast’s city charter. Charting the city’s development from prehistory right up to today (or to 2011), it provides a balanced view of this history and often questions why it took a particular course. The excellent contributions by Ruairí Ó Baoill and Philip Maconald of CAF examine the prehistoric and medieval origins of the city, the many buildings that have been lost and the archaeology that has been excavated. Raymond Gillespie then takes us through the true creation of Belfast with the coming of Sir Arthur Chichester. There is something in this volume for everyone, from the archaeology and architecture to the social, economic and industrial history of the city. There have been a number of books in the past that have looked at the history of Belfast, but few can cover such a range of topics from so many perspectives. Although the book is called ‘Belfast 400’, it covers 10,000 years of history, reminding us that Belfast is more than we see around us today. This book is a must for anyone interested in the history and archaeology of Belfast and Ulster.

UAS members can get Belfast 400 for only £10 (+p&p £3.50) To order at this special price, contact Janet McDermott, Liverpool University Press, 4 Cambridge St, Liverpool, L69 7ZU Tel: 0151 7952149, email: [email protected]

Other archaeology books available from Liverpool University Press Mortuary practices & social identities in the Middles Ages Edited by Duncan Sayer & Howard Williams, £25 This volume draws together a wide range of papers on medieval mortuary practices in honour of the influential archaeologist Heinrich Härke. These papers place British practices into a wider European context. Death is often the best expression of identity in archaeology and this volume draws on numerous examples where funerary practices provide clear insights into medieval societies. The material culture of daily living in the Anglo-Saxon World Edited by M. C. Hayer & G. R. Owen-‐Crocker, £25 This volume combines archaeology with textual studies to reveal a detailed picture of Anglo-‐Saxon daily life. The range of papers remind us that archaeology is about the lives of normal people that are not recorded in the great works of literature. Everything from eating and drinking to metal working, clothing and transport are covered in this volume. The concluding chapter provides an interesting analysis of disease and impairment in the Middle Ages. These can be ordered from the address above or -‐ www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk

uas newsletter summer 2013

Documents