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Early Medieval Ireland: Archaeological Excavations, 1930-2009

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Early Medieval Ireland: Archaeological Excavations, 1930-2009 EARLY MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY PROJECT (EMAP) Report 4.5 Early Medieval Ireland: Archaeological Excavations, 1930-2009 Aidan O'Sullivan, Finbar McCormick, Thomas Kerr and Lorcan Harney December 2010 Grant No. AR01055 UCD School of Archaeology Irish National Strategic Archaeological Research (INSTAR) Programme 2010 Early Medieval Ireland: Archaeological Excavations 1930-2009 Text for Royal Irish Academy By Aidan O’Sullivan, Finbar McCormick, Thomas Kerr and Lorcan Harney Early Medieval Archaeology Project (EMAP) Report 4.5 December 2010 Report submitted for Irish National Strategic Archaeological Research (INSTAR) programme 2010 Ref: AR01055 i Contents Chapter 1: The History and Legacy of Early Medieval Archaeological Excavation in Ireland .... 1 Antiquarian Origins and the Development of Irish Archaeology in the Nineteenth century 1 University and State‐Funded Archaeological Excavations in the Republic of Ireland (1930s‐ 1970s) .................................................................................................................................... 3 University and State‐Funded Archaeological Excavations in Northern Ireland (1930s‐1970s) ............................................................................................................................................... 4 European Union Membership and the Origins and Development of Commercial Archaeology in Ireland ........................................................................................................... 5 Theorising Early Medieval Irish Archaeology: ..................................................................... 16 Building Alternative Archaeologies of Early Medieval Ireland ............................................ 16 Chapter 2: Early Medieval Dwellings and Settlements ........................................................... 20 Early Medieval Raths/Cashels ............................................................................................. 21 Early Medieval Crannogs ..................................................................................................... 26 Early Medieval Promontory Forts ........................................................................................ 29 Early Medieval Unenclosed Settlements ............................................................................. 30 Early Medieval Coastal Middens and Occupation Sites ...................................................... 31 Early Medieval Occupation in Caves ................................................................................... 33 Early Medieval Trackways ................................................................................................... 34 Interior Structures ............................................................................................................... 35 Souterrains .......................................................................................................................... 37 Origins, Chronology and Cultural Biographies .......................................................... 40 Origins and Chronology ................................................................................................ 40 The Early Medieval Social Landscape .................................................................................. 48 Viking Settlement ................................................................................................................ 52 The Longphort. .............................................................................................................. 53 The Archaeology of Ireland’s Hiberno-Scandinavian Towns - A.D. 900-1100 ..... 54 Viking and Hiberno-Scandinavian Rural Settlement in Ireland, A.D. 800-1100 . 56 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 58 Chapter 3: The Early Medieval Church .................................................................................... 70 Early Ecclesiastical Sites ....................................................................................................... 71 Churches and Other Ecclesiastical Monuments ................................................................... 74 Early Pre-Stone Churches ............................................................................................ 75 Stone Churches ............................................................................................................. 76 Internal Ecclesiastical Features ................................................................................... 78 ii Leachta ................................................................................................................................ 81 Round Towers ...................................................................................................................... 82 High Crosses......................................................................................................................... 83 Curvilinear Drystone Cells (Clochauns) ...................................................................... 86 Rectangular Stone Houses ........................................................................................... 87 ‘Streets’ and Pathways ................................................................................................. 88 Models for the Layout of Ecclesiastical Settlements ................................................ 89 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 92 Chapter 4: Early Medieval Death and Burial ......................................................................... 102 Burying the Dead in Early Medieval Ireland ...................................................................... 103 Re‐use of Earlier Monuments ............................................................................................ 104 Early Medieval Enclosed Burial Grounds ........................................................................... 106 Early Medieval Settlement/Cemetery Sites ...................................................................... 109 Anglo‐Saxon and Scandinavian Furnished Burial Practices ............................................... 111 Viking Burials in Viking/Hiberno-Scandinavian Dyflin ............................................ 112 Viking Burials in Dyflinarskiri and Beyond ............................................................... 113 Chapter 5: Early Medieval Agriculture and Economy ............................................................ 117 Livestock Farming .............................................................................................................. 117 Crop Cultivation ........................................................................................................... 119 The archaeology of grain-processing – mills and kilns .......................................... 120 Early Medieval Horizontal and Vertical Mills .................................................................... 120 Early Medieval Grain‐Drying Kilns ..................................................................................... 122 Organisation of the Farming Landscape ............................................................................ 124 The Early Medieval Environment ...................................................................................... 126 Exploitation of Natural Food Stocks .................................................................................. 128 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 129 Chapter 6: Early Medieval Crafts and Technology ................................................................ 134 Early Medieval Ironworking ............................................................................................... 134 Mining ........................................................................................................................... 134 Charcoal production .................................................................................................... 135 Ore processing, smelting, bloomsmithing, and forging ......................................... 135 Ironworking in Early Medieval Ireland ..................................................................... 136 Early Medieval Glass and Vitreous Materials .................................................................... 140 Early Medieval Amber‐Working and Stone‐Working ........................................................ 140 iii Chapter 7: Early Medieval Trade and Exchange .................................................................... 164 Trade with the Mediterranean (c. A.D. 400 ‐ 600) ............................................................ 165 Gaulo/Frankish Trade (c. A.D. 550‐800) ............................................................................ 167 Imported Pottery ......................................................................................................... 167 Imported Glass ............................................................................................................ 168 Coins: ............................................................................................................................ 169 Other Imported Goods .........................................................................................................
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