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Archaeologists cleaning the outer enclosure stake-holes in preparation for preliminary drawing. (Mary Deevy)
Aidan O’Connell, excavation director with Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd, reports on the excavation of a unique post enclosure at Lismullin, Co. Meath, which was recently declared a National Monument. Archaeological excavations in advance of the Dunshaughlin–Navan section of the M3 Clonee–North of Kells motorway scheme have revealed the presence of a large, postbuilt ceremonial enclosure dating to the early Iron Age (sixth to fourth century BC) in the townland of Lismullin. The post enclosure has been declared a National Monument and the Minister of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, in consultation with the National Museum of Ireland (NMI), has issued ministerial directions pertaining to its full excavation within the road corridor. A committee of experts—comprising representatives from the National Monuments Service of the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the NMI, the Department of Archaeology NUI Galway, the School of Archaeology UCD and the NRA—has been set up to advise on the excavations, and a range of techniques, including geophysical surveys and geoarchaeological studies, are being employed in tandem with the excavations to ensure that the maximum amount of information is obtained. Full archaeological excavation of the site within the road corridor was ongoing at the time of writing and was expected to be completed by early November 2007.
Lismullin 1 is located 850 m to the north-east of the existing N3, about halfway between Navan and Dunshaughlin. It is 2.1 km northeast of the Hill of Tara and bounded to the north-west by the River Gabhra. The total area under investigation covers 27,360 m2. In addition to the enclosure, a range of features dating to the Early–Middle Neolithic, the final Neolithic/Early Bronze Age, the later Bronze Age, the medieval period and the post-medieval/early modern period have been identified (see Prehistoric Ritual and Early Medieval Land Use panels). Iron Age ceremonial enclosure The post enclosure occupies a natural, saucer-shaped depression at the west of the site, surrounded on all sides by a ridge of higher ground. Both the enclosure and this high ridge extend beyond the south-western site boundary. There are three surviving enclosure elements: an outer enclosure, 80 m in diameter, defined by a concentric double ring of post-holes; a central inner enclosure, defined by a single ring of closely spaced post-holes; and an east-facing entrance comprised of an avenue of widely spaced post-holes. The two outer enclosing rings are 1.5–2 m apart and the individual post-holes are arranged at 0.4–1 m intervals (averaging 0.6 m). The excavated post-holes from the outer enclosure average 0.21 m in diameter and 0.2 m in depth, but range from smaller examples less than 0.15 m in diameter to larger post-holes that are up to 0.29 m wide. Charcoal from post-pipes (the voids left once the posts have rotted away) associated with two of the post-holes has been radiocarbondated to 520–380 BC and 490–370 BC, placing the enclosure firmly within an early Iron Age context. The enclosure entrance is located at the east and is defined by a gap in the (outer) double ring, with a slightly funnel-shaped avenue of post-holes narrowing towards the inner circle. At a point about 4 m from the inner circle a slot-trench traverses the avenue. This may have supported a screen that would have restricted the view from the entranceway into the inner enclosure. The inner ring has a diameter of 16 m and a number of internal features, including three possible pits that appear to have charcoal-rich upper fills and are oriented towards the eastern entrance.
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There are additional clusters of postholes, stake-holes and pits located between the inner and outer enclosure elements, but no clear patterns have been identified. A range of artefacts has been recovered from the enclosed area, including a fragment of a rectangular stone chisel or adze—which came from the subsoil surface within the northern area of the enclosure—Middle Bronze Age domestic pottery collected from a pit between the two outer rings and numerous sherds of later Bronze Age coarse ware pottery from four pits on the enclosure interior.
The Lismullin enclosure appears to represent a single phase of construction and a relatively short period of use. It seems that the rings of posts were freestanding as there is no indication of a slot-trench between them to support a timber or wattle facing. In addition, the use of large numbers of relatively small posts and their close spacing suggests there would have been little need to additionally define the enclosed area or its circular manifestation. The choice of location is important. The enclosure occupies a discreet, sheltered position with the surrounding higher ground giving the effect of a natural amphitheatre. Recent aerial topographical survey at the site has demonstrated that the enclosure occupies the lowest point in this natural hollow, rather than its exact centre, which suggests that the activities taking place within the enclosure could be viewed from the outside. The purpose of the possible blocking screen (if it is associated with the enclosure) at the end of the entrance-way may have been to restrict the movement and/or view of people from the outer enclosure to the central area. It possibly defined a solid boundary between the area used in the context of congregation and procession (i.e. the east–west-aligned avenue) and the inner ceremonial space. The construction and siting of the Lismullin enclosure suggest that it was custom-built to serve the, possibly shortterm, needs of its builders; a monument tailormade for a particular set of events in a carefully chosen landscape setting. Ceremonial enclosures elsewhere Post enclosures form components of a variety of ritual and ceremonial sites in the middle Iron Age, including Sites A and B at Navan Fort, Co. Armagh, Dún Ailinne, Co. Kildare, Raffin, Co. Meath and the Rath of the Synods at Tara, Co. Meath.
The Rath of the Synods may be of particular importance due to its proximity to Lismullin: the second phase of activity comprises three apparently successive circular timber palisade enclosures, 25 m, 16.5 m and 30 m in diameter, which have very general similarities to the inner enclosure at Lismullin. Despite this apparent similarity in construction, the differences between these sites and Lismullin are striking. The deliberate choice of a discreet landscape setting is in stark contrast to the location of other Iron Age ceremonial enclosures on prominent hilltops. In addition, the use of relatively small posts at Lismullin is very different from the large timbers characteristic elsewhere, most strikingly at the ‘forty metre structure’ at Navan Fort. Furthermore, the use of freestanding timber as the apparently sole construction medium at Lismullin differs
A sequence of prehistoric pits was uncovered at the south-east of the Lismullin site. The three earliest phases are undated. These were succeeded by a series of small pits, three of which may have contained wooden posts to support a superstructure or platform. A range of round-bottomed Neolithic pottery, including Early Neolithic Carinated Bowls (3850–3700 BC) and Middle Neolithic broad bowls (3500–3000 BC), was found in these features and associated with small quantities of possible human bone fragments. These were succeeded by a larger, oval pit containing sherds of Beaker pottery (final Neolithic/Early Bronze Age) in association with a broken Bronze Age polished macehead. All of these pits were sealed by a thin clay deposit, which contained what may be small fragments of cremated human bone. Although the exact function of these pits remains unclear in advance of post-excavation analysis, the occurrence of the pottery and the macehead in association with the human bone fragments indicates that they were of a ritual nature. Further final Neolithic/Early Bronze Age activity at the site consisted of a small pit at the northern corner of the site that contained 204 sherds of domestic Beaker pottery. A small ring-ditch located at the south-east of the site is as yet undated, but may prove to be broadly contemporary with either the Bronze Age pits or the later post enclosure.
Geoarchaeologist Steve Lancaster, Headland Archaeology Ltd, examining the soil profile at Lismullin with one of the site supervisors. (Maria FitzGerald)
Pre-excavation plan overlaid with an interpretive drawing of the results of a caesium magnetometer survey (blue and red circles and lines) and a magnetic susceptibility survey of the north-west quadrant. Neither method identified the enclosure features. (Earthsound Archaeological Geophysics)
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from the complex of earthworks and slot-trenches to be found elsewhere. This serves to underline the unique nature of Lismullin and its significance in the Irish archaeological record.
The Lismullin post enclosure is one of the most exciting archaeological discoveries of recent times. A striking feature of the site is its deliberately chosen landscape setting. That this discreet area within the Tara landscape was revisited and reused over a number of millennia can be seen in the recorded features dating to the Early and Middle Neolithic, the Early Bronze Age, the early Iron Age and the early medieval periods. Furthermore, the vast majority of the prehistoric activity, although somewhat episodic, appears to have been of a ritual or ceremonial nature. This further emphasises that the prehistoric inhabitants of the Gabhra Valley perceived this area as a special place. By the early medieval period the focus of activity at the site had assumed a more functional nature. This can be inferred from the probable exploitation of local tillage resources and their processing in some of the various kilns on the site. The souterrain may have been used to store the dried grain and safeguard it, and the local landowners, in times of danger and attack. Thus far, the Lismullin excavations have offered us a tantalising glimpse at the archaeology and early history of the area. It is to be anticipated that the completion of the excavations and the subsequent programme of post-excavation analysis and publication will significantly enrich and broaden our knowledge of this rich archaeological landscape. (Directors Excavation Progress Reports detailing the progress of the Lismullin excavation can be viewed online at: www.nra. ie/Archaeology/NationalMoumentatLismullin/) Early Medieval Land Use A souterrain was located at the brow of the north-west-facing slope at Lismullin, overlooking the River Gabhra. This drystone-built, underground structure was entered from the south-east, on the brow of the hill, and consists of two passages with a complex of inbuilt creep-ways and defensive stepped features terminating with a chamber or room at the end of each passage. In addition, 13 clay-cut kilns were recorded across the site. While some have the classic figure-of-eight shape associated with cereal-drying kilns of early medieval date, there is enough variety in their construction to suggest that when post-excavation analysis has been completed, a more diverse date range and variety of functions may become apparent. Interestingly, a projecting ring-headed pin of possible late Iron Age date was recovered from the backfill of an elongated kiln adjacent to the north side of the post enclosure.
Archaeologists excavating and recording stake-holes, with box section (foreground) through two of the stake-holes. Photo: Mary Deevy
Aerial topographic survey overlaid with plan of the enclosure, souterrain and ring-ditch. Also shown is a ring-ditch beyond the roadtake, which was newly identified through geophysical survey. (BKS Surveys Ltd)
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Stuart Rathbone, an excavation director with Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd, describes cutting-edge scientific technology used to date a site at Garretstown, Co. Meath.
The archaeological potential of what became known as Garretstown 2 was first identified during the assessment phase of the M3 motorway scheme by geophysicists from GSB Prospection. Their instruments detected a complex of linear features forming a subrectangular pattern at a site located about 1 km north-west of Dunshaughlin. Assessment of the geophysical data suggested that the site may have been a moated site (an Anglo-Norman defended farmstead defined by a rectangular or square ditch and an internal bank); the route of the road was diverted to pass to the north-east of the interior of this potentially significant find. Test-trenching of the altered route identified a small number of probable archaeological features located immediately adjacent to the enclosure, and in February 2006 excavation began in this area. The features examined consisted of a series of large, curvilinear ditches extending from the eastern side of the subrectangular enclosure, a series of smaller ditches forming subdivisions, a number of small corn-drying kilns, two ring-ditches of impressive depth (one circular, the other subcircular) and—to the consternation of the director—one-third of the circuit of a large ringfort ditch protruding from the edge of the roadtake at the north-east. Unfortunately, as the excavations progressed a very noticeable pattern emerged: an absolute lack of finds, animal bone or charcoal from any of the major features. The form of the features suggested that the site consisted of two Bronze Age ring-ditches, which had probably surrounded earthen burial mounds, known as barrows, an early medieval ringfort and an early medieval or medieval field system extending from the subrectangular enclosure. Three major phases of recutting were identified in the ditches of the field system. However, with the exception of the ringfort ditch, which produced a reasonable quantity of animal bone, and charcoal-rich layers in the kilns, the features could not be dated by the usual means. Several months into the excavation this problem was becoming rather critical. It was at this point that something surfaced from the dark recesses Seeing the light at Garretstown, Co. Meath
General site plan of Garretstown with geophysical greyscale plot. (ACS Ltd/GSB Prospection) Aerial view of excavated Bronze Age ring-ditch and early medieval ringfort, looking east. (Hawkeye)
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of the author’s memory—a half-remembered university lecture on Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating. OSL is a dating technique based on the principles of radiometric decay, like the far more familiar radiocarbon or C14 dating method. With OSL dating, it is the small grains of quartz present in ditch sediments that are dated, rather than dating the approximate time of death of a plant or animal whose remains are recovered from a particular context, as in radiocarbon dating. OSL is an analysis of the approximate time-span since the quartz grains were last exposed to light. Using this method it is possible to directly date the deposition of sediments within archaeological features. It was decided to investigate the viability of using this method at Garretstown 2, which eventually led us to discuss the problem with Jean- Luc Schwinninger at the Luminescence Dating Laboratory at the Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford. In August 2006 one of Jean-Luc’s assistants flew to Ireland to collect samples from Garretstown 2 and took readings of the localised levels of background radiation. Eight samples were taken in all—three from the ringfort ditch, two from ditches belonging to the field system and three from one of the ring-ditches. It was decided to use one of the samples from the ringfort to demonstrate the accuracy of the method when compared to a radiocarbon date from an animal jaw bone from the same context. The radiocarbon-dating result was not given to Jean-Luc. The other sample that was initially dated, which was taken from the circular ring-ditch, was thought to be Bronze Age in date. Beta Analytic in Florida, USA, conducted the radiocarbon dating of the bone from the ringfort, and this provided a date of AD 650–780. Several months later Jean-Luc provided a date from the same context: AD 467–727. While this date range is twice the length of that provided by radiocarbon dating (260 years as opposed to 130 years), there is an overlap of 77 years between AD 650 and 727. The second sample obtained from a fill deep within the ring-ditch returned a date of 1724–1364 BC, placing it within the Middle Bronze Age. Two further dates have now been requested from samples taken from different parts of the field system, to establish whether it belongs to the early or later medieval period. Had this technique not been used it would have proved very difficult to proceed with analysing the results from this excavation. Our concepts of function are often intimately bound to chronological considerations. Thus a circular ditch from AD 700 is perceived to be of a very different character from a circular ditch dating from 3000 BC, even though the physical resemblance may be rather close. These dates therefore allow us to confidently organise the archaeological features at Garretstown 2 into chronological order: two Bronze Age ring-ditches (possibly round barrows), an early medieval ringfort and an early medieval or medieval field system. The process of obtaining these dates has proved rather illuminating. That the determination of the function of the archaeology depended on acquiring scientific dates rather than resulting from information gained about their physical nature through excavation is, frankly, a little depressing. Nonetheless, the potential of OSL dating was amply demonstrated and while it is unlikely to ever replace our reliance on radiocarbon dating, in certain circumstances it does hold considerable potential. Individual contexts can be targeted for dating, irrespective of their inclusion of suitable organic material or datable artefacts. Also, problems such as the ‘old wood effect’ (when the age of a wood sample may be greater than the age of the layer or structure in which it is found) and the possibility of residual or intrusive artefacts are avoided, although the method does have its own set of problems, relating to contamination. Basic Principles of OSL dating The particular advantage of luminescence dating is that the method provides a date for the archaeological artefact or deposit itself, rather than for organic material in assumed association. In the case of OSL sediment dating, suitable material (sand or silt-sized grains of quartz and feldspar) is usually available throughout the site. When ionising radiation (predominantly alpha-, beta- or gamma-radiation) interacts with an insulating crystal lattice (such as quartz), it triggers a net redistribution of electronic charge. Electrons are stripped from the outer shells of atoms and, though most return immediately, a proportion escape and become trapped at ‘metastable’ sites within the lattice. These are held in place until exposed to light or heat whereupon they become ‘free’ and return to their normal state, but in order to do this they must lose energy, which they do by emitting light. If sediment at the base of a ditch, for example, is exposed to light, all of the trapped electrons will be released and this effectively resets the radiometric ‘clock’. When the sediment becomes buried and is no longer exposed to light, the meta-stable sites will slowly fill up with electrons at a rate determined by the local level of background radiation. If a sample of this sediment is carefully removed during excavation, without exposing it to light, the age since the sediment was deposited can be calculated. To obtain a date using this method, a portion of the sample is first exposed to a known dose of radiation and then illuminated. The amount of light given off is observed and this is used to create a dose response curve. Another part of the sample is then illuminated and the amount of emitted light is compared to the dose response curve, which allows an estimate of the total absorbed radiation dose. Once measurements have been made to establish the levels of background radiation in the location where the sample was taken, this can then be used to calculate the approximate age of the sediment. The error limits on the dates obtained are typically in the range of ± 3–8%, although recent technical developments now allow luminescence measurements to be made with a precision of ± 1–2%, in favourable circumstances. RING-DITCH The basic form of a ring-ditch is a circular ditch. Excavated examples have been found to encircle an area averaging 8 m across. In some examples the ditches form a complete circuit, in others an entrance gap was left. Entrances most commonly face eastwards. The soil from digging the ditch was used to build an internal or external bank, or a central mound. Ploughing and natural erosion have removed the above-ground features, leaving the silted-up ring-ditch as the only evidence of these sites. Where mounds and banks survive, archaeologists classify these monuments as various types of barrow.
Ring-ditches were predominantly used as places of burial. The first examples were built in the Early Bronze Age, around 2000 BC. During the Bronze Age they became the most common form of burial monument and our ancestors continued to build them through the Iron Age, until the coming of Christianity. The earliest and latest ring-ditches enclose inhumation burials, however the majority of burials at ring-ditches were cremations. Burials were generally placed in the enclosed area, but in later prehistory the focus of burial extended to the ditch. At this time it also appears that ring-ditches were constructed that did not have their primary use as burial monuments— they may have functioned as cenotaphs. Another pattern that emerges in the Late Bronze Age is the practice of constructing ring-ditch cemeteries, often sited in prominent locations in the landscape—frequently close to natural boundaries, such as rivers.
James Eogan, NRA senior archaeologist, Southern Team. 57
In early medieval Ireland (AD 400–1000) many people—particularly relatively prosperous farming families or powerful lords—lived in enclosed settlements (often defined by banks and ditches) known variously by archaeologists as ringforts or raths. Literally tens of thousands of these ringforts are known in the Irish landscape today, testifying to population growth and intensification in settlement and agriculture from about the seventh century AD onwards. Interestingly, these ringforts often vary in appearance and form: from small, simple, single-banked enclosures to large, complex sites with multiple banks and ditches. Archaeologists believe that, to some extent, such variations may indicate that they were inhabited and used by people of different social status or roles within the community. Discovering who these people were and their role in their society is one of the detective tasks of the archaeologist. Baronstown ringfort was a previously unknown, large, early medieval enclosure discovered in advance of the M3 Clonee–North of Kells motorway. Buried underground, with its banks probably worn down by centuries of ploughing since it was abandoned (possibly in the 11th or 12th century), the site was only discovered when geophysical surveys were carried out during the Environmental Impact Assessment. Excavation of the site took place between September 2006 and April 2007. The site, as revealed by these excavations, consisted of a circular, ditched enclosure surrounded by a second outer ditch, which had the effect of expanding the site considerably to the north. Seven cereal-drying kilns and two small oval enclosures (possibly houses) were situated outside these main enclosures. The primary enclosing element was an impressive ditch, approximately 4 m wide and 3 m deep—significantly wider and deeper than Post-excavation plan.
(ACS Ltd) Fort Baronstown? 58
many ringfort ditches. In some ways the site is typical of an early medieval ringfort, but some aspects suggest that Baronstown also played a role in defence and military strategies in the locality. Post-excavation analysis is ongoing, therefore this article is a preliminary assessment of the evidence; future interpretations may change once the results of radiocarbon dating and environmental analyses are available. Baronstown and its surrounding contemporary landscape Baronstown enclosure occupied a prominent position in the landscape, with commanding views to the north, west and east. A good location is common enough for ringforts—demonstrating the interest people had in providing themselves with a good view over their lands and cattle and in watching their neighbours in the near-distance. However, some ringforts—like Baronstown—are particularly prominently located, which often seems to have been because the builders decided to build and occupy a site that provided greater defensive capabilities—in this case, both for the enclosure and for settlements in the locality. What about the surrounding landscape? Baronstown townland today is small, bounded by the townlands of Cabragh, Skreen, Collierstown and Ross. These townlands have a wide range of evidence for early medieval settlement and burial. Cabragh borders Baronstown to the north and west and contains a souterrain and an earthwork, which was marked ‘fort’ on the first edition (1837) Ordnance Survey map. The earthwork is no longer visible, but may well have been a ringfort. Skreen lies to the north and east of Baronstown and a ringfort, church and enclosure site are recorded in that townland. The Skreen enclosure site may represent the remains of a small, univallate ringfort (i.e. defined by a single bank and ditch). Skreen is also recorded in early historical documents, which assert that it was plundered by both the Irish and the Scandinavians between the 10th and 12th centuries, testifying to the endemic nature of war and conflict in early medieval Ireland. Ross, bordering Baronstown to the south, contains a probable early medieval ringfort, which was excavated by Ken Wiggins, ACS Ltd, in advance of the M3 works. No contemporary features were uncovered within the enclosure and finds were minimal, including a moderate amount of animal bone, small quantities of unworked wood, a copper-alloy stick-pin and a polished copper-alloy ring. Another ringfort is recorded in Collierstown, which borders Baronstown to the south-west. A forgotten early medieval cemetery site was also discovered here and excavated by Rob O’Hara, ACS Ltd. Moving away from Baronstown’s bordering townlands, there is a noticeable lack of upstanding early medieval settlement evidence to the east, west and south. There are no contemporary sites within 5 km to the east, while just two ringforts are recorded at Trevet Grange, within approximately the same distance to the south.
The Hill of Tara is situated c. 2.5 km to the west of Baronstown. Written evidence from approximately the seventh century unequivocally cites Tara as the mythical capital of Ireland, while its title later became synonymous with the high-kingship of the country. However, although it was of great mythical and political importance, the hill itself may not have been occupied in a conventional sense in the early medieval period. In fact, the Hill of Tara and the lands further to the west contain no upstanding monuments that can be shown to be contemporary with the Baronstown ringfort. It is only when we move northwards that a variety of early medieval domestic, ecclesiastical and farming activity becomes apparent in the form of ringforts, souterrains, a church and cereal-drying kilns. Baronstown, then, can most easily be interpreted in terms of its immediately surrounding settlement and burial landscape.
Given its impressive scale and deliberately prominent location, Baronstown seems likely to have been a ringfort designed to play, to some extent, a defensive or military role.
Oddly, however, the artefact assemblage was relatively small.
The remaining finds included two brooches—suggesting that its inhabitants had access to portable wealth—a spiral-ringed loop-headed pin, some iron knives and a range of well-preserved wooden artefacts, including barrel staves and a wooden bowl. One penannular brooch, with bird-headed terminals, and the spiral-ringed loop-headed pin demonstrate that the enclosure was in use during the seventh century.
However, what is unusual about the Baronstown objects is that they seem mostly to be high-status objects (jewellery), with little of the ordinary finds that would be left from daily domestic and small-scale industrial activities (e.g. iron slag, evidence of textile and crafts or quern-stones for the grinding of grain). There was a lot of animal bone, which of course could have been deposited over a long period of time and may not indicate feasting at one event, but it at least shows that people lived and ate there for some time. Looking at the scale of the defences, the high-quality finds (few as they are) and the prominent siting, it is possible that Baronstown was a distinctive place—a defensive fort, possibly—used occasionally, perhaps at times of danger, by a social group with access to labour, wealth and economic resources. Elsewhere in Ireland there are comparable early medieval enclosures that demonstrate similar landscape, morphological and material culture evidence to Baronstown. These sites include Ballycasey Beg and Beal Boru, both in County Clare, and Narraghmore, Co. Kildare, which were excavated by Anna Casey, the late P J O’Kelly and Tom Fanning, respectively. What they share with Baronstown are: a defensive location, occupying highvantage points over the lower-lying terrain; impressive defences taking a variety of forms, including wide and deep ditches, tall banks and palisades; and a general lack of occupation evidence in the form of houses and artefacts. It seems likely, then, that there were some early medieval enclosures in Ireland, like Baronstown, that were primarily intended as military or defensive fortresses (the absence of weaponry is hardly significant, as it is infrequent from most early medieval sites). If we accept that Baronstown was a defensive or military-type ringfort, is there anything else we can use to understand its role? Its occupation in the seventh century—as indicated by the bird’shead brooch—allows us to refer to contemporary early Irish laws (e.g. c. AD 700) that describe the role of the aire forgill and the aire ard, who were high-ranking lords with military functions. One of these functions was to keep livestock away from túath borders, so their enclosures were usually located centrally within the kingdom. In early medieval Irish society a lord could command military service from his clients, who lived nearby.
The penannular 59 brooch—possibly manufactured locally or further afield, such as at Dunadd in Scotland, where brooches of this type were manufactured and which was the early medieval, Irish-ruled royal site of the Scottish Dalriada—is significant because generally only the highest ranking members of early medieval society had access to such items. It may be that the brooch was made locally—perhaps at the metal workshop on Moynagh Lough crannog where a similar brooch was found—and distributed throughout the kingdom of Brega or, if produced in Scotland, reflects processes such as gift-exchange and tribute between dominant social groups in Ireland, Scotland or even Anglo-Saxon England. The combined archaeological, historical and cartographic evidence suggests that Baronstown was either one of the dwelling places or, more likely, a fortification of a high-ranking lord. These were powerful and wealthy men, who played a military role for the wider community in that could both alert and call upon their clients and labourers in the neighbouring ringforts in Cabragh, Skreen and Collierstown in times of danger. The location of the defensive ringfort meant that the people within the surrounding enclosures were easily accessible, and probably visible, from this central vantage-point. At a more regional level, it is interesting that the Baronstown enclosure occupied a secure and roughly central position within the modern barony of Skreen, which approximately corresponds in size to the early medieval túath or demesne of Tara. Legal references associate lords, such as the aire forgill and aire ard, with the responsibility for the protection of livestock, so Baronstown and its neighbouring ringfort were usefully centrally placed within their own kingdom and sufficiently removed from neighbouring túath borders to offer such protection. The ringfort in Ross, located close to the south of Baronstown, demonstrated no occupational evidence and produced only two finds; it may have functioned exclusively as a livestock enclosure. It seems plausible to suggest that Baronstown’s occupants were responsible for the safety of the animals within the Ross enclosure, while the outer enclosure at Baronstown also offered protection to livestock. It may also be the case that the people of this local community were buried within the cemetery at Collierstown. The cemetery expanded in size from the fifth or sixth century and its status appears to have changed from approximately the seventh century, when children began to be buried there. The entrance to the Baronstown ringfort faced the cemetery and there may have been a direct relationship between its occupants and their deceased ancestors. Conclusion Our task as archaeologists is to use a range of archaeological, historical and landscape evidence to explain sites like the Baronstown enclosure and to try to understand how its inhabitants related to the people in the surrounding settlements. Sometimes, we put the pieces of the jigsaw together quickly to see how they fit: our first proposal is that Baronstown was once an early medieval defensive or military fortress, which served both its wealthy owners and the wider community. However, much remains to be done at Baronstown as site plans and features are analysed, environmental samples are processed, radiocarbon dates obtained and other archaeological work is done. Our proposal here fits the evidence uncovered so far, but watch this space as the detective work continues! A penannular brooch with bird-headed terminals dating from the seventh century AD. Background:
Aerial view of Baronstown post-excavation, from the north. (studiolab.ie) Photo: ACS Ltd 60
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difficulties recruiting qualified personnel still pose serious problems. To help resolve this a substantial number of archaeologists have been recruited from overseas (mainly from Sweden and Poland). Foreign archaeologists are attracted here by the rich heritage and attractive employment conditions. Nonetheless, in many cases they are not prepared to work abroad and may need specific training.
The last, equally important stage, of research involves specialist analysis of all the data and materials recovered during the excavation and publication of the results. The fact that the developer, in this case the NRA, is also involved at this stage is a very significant and positive element of the Irish system. The NRA is funding the postexcavation work of numerous researchers. In the case of the M3, this work is being guided by an Archaeological Research Framework with the objective of placing the results into a wider archaeological, historical and environmental context, as well as transforming all data into knowledge about the past. The NRA is also dedicated to the dissemination of information not only to archaeologists but to the general public. In addition to various monographs detailing some of the most interesting sites, a variety of media—the Internet, regional and national seminars and many forms of printed materials (brochures, posters, etc.)—are used to fulfil this purpose. The public can also have a closer look at the work of archaeologists during the open days that are organised frequently on sites around the country. By applying such fast and effective methods of public information archaeologists can promote a positive image of the profession and combat the stereotype of the archaeologist as ‘treasure-hunter’ , which will hopefully lead to a revitalisation of public interest and greater care of archaeological resources. The whole range of solutions applied in Ireland shows that cooperation between archaeologists and developers can be fruitful, allowing road construction while respecting national and international legislation protecting archaeological heritage. Archaeologists receive the necessary time and resources to enhance our knowledge of Ireland’s past. For the author, and for many archaeologists from overseas, the extensive archaeological investigations on Irish roads has also created the unique possibility to develop their professional skills and get to know the rich culture and beautiful landscapes of this very hospitable part of the globe.
Daria working at the Iron Age post enclosure at Lismullin, Co. Meath, on the M3. (Mary Deevy)