EMAP_Progress_Reports_2009_2.pdf - The Heritage Council

Cork
Brigown, Co. Cork
Early Medieval Settlement Enclosure
Grid Ref: R82301190 (18230/11190)
SMR No: N/A
Excavation Licence: 03E1153
Excavation Duration/Year: November - December 2003
Site Director: M. Carroll (John Purcell Archaeological Consultancy)
An excavation at Brigown in advance of a residential development partially revealed the
western outer limits of a possible enclosure with extensive evidence for metalworking waste
at its north-western end. Several other pits and linear features were also excavated in its
interior and exterior though most could not be stratigraphically linked to each other or to the
larger enclosing ditches. The site is bordered on its south-eastern side by a tributary of the
Gradoge River and an early monastery (‘Brigown’) with a church, holy well. A round tower is
located 400m to the north-west, and St. Finnchu’s stone, a large millstone (probably a
horizontal mill runner stone), is located within the tributary of the Gradoge River close to the
southern corner of the site. The Book of Lismore records the place-name ‘Bri-gobh-unn’
translated by Joyce (1870, 34) as the ‘bree’ or hill of the smith (‘gobha’). Power (1980, 13)
attributes this name to St. Finnchu and states that it was named in honour of the seven
master smiths who worked there. Interestingly, the excavation uncovered large quantities of
metal slag.
Two large curving ditches, bisected by a large linear ditch, appear to have formed part of an
enclosure. The curvature of the two ditches suggests that the dimensions of the original
enclosure were quite substantial, possibly measuring 40-50m in diameter (Fig. 59). No
evidence for an associated bank was uncovered though a curving field boundary was
depicted in the First Edition O.S. map in the general area of the excavated ditch and may
represent a portion of the bank.
The main enclosure ditch (maximum dimensions of 17.8m in length, 2.3m in width and 1.5m
in depth) included fills of charcoal and slag-rich deposits. This was bisected by a linear ditch
(maximum dimensions of 3.5m wide and 1.33m deep), which was in turn cut by a shallow
ditch. No finds or animal bone were recovered from any of these ditches.
A curving linear trench was excavated in the southern half of the site inside and parallel to
the enclosing ditch. It was interpreted as a palisade trench, although no stakeholes and only
one posthole was recovered from its base. The northern end of the feature was cut by a ditch
and there was no evidence for a continuation of the trench in the northern half of the site.
A possible entrance feature was located at the south end of the site and was defined by the
terminus of the southern ditch and a large shallow pit, 0.8m further east. The possible
palisade trench terminated 1.2m south of the ditch terminal and may have formed part of a
defended entrance feature.
Several pits and linear features were located outside the enclosure ditches. Those pits and
linear features to the west of the northern section of the enclosing ditch contained large
quantities of charcoal and slag and may have been utilized for the dumping of waste or byproducts
associated with metalworking. Charcoal and slag was relatively absent from those
features to the west of the southern enclosing section. Several pits, linear features and a
possible posthole were excavated in the interior of the possible enclosure. There was no
direct evidence for the process of metalworking inside the enclosure though two small pits
displayed evidence for in situ burning. One small bowl-shaped pit with evidence for in situ
burning was interpreted as a possible pit-furnace used for iron smelting.
The substantial quantity of slag and charcoal at the north-western end of the site indicates
that metalworking was undertaken on or in the vicinity of the enclosure however no
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