EMAP_Progress_Reports_2009_2.pdf - The Heritage Council

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to retain insulating sod for the building. An internal spread of habitation refuse, e.g. shells,
carbonized grain and animal and fish bone, as well as a hearth of burnt material just inside
the door were revealed in the interior of the house. Nine postholes in the area directly
opposite the door were interpreted as supports for some sort of wooden bed. An internal
stone-flagged drain ran out under the entrance passage and contained habitation refuse in its
upper fills, e.g. shells and fragments of bone.
A partially stone-lined well was excavated just south of the stone house. This feature could
be of relatively recent date and from its fill were recovered fragments of hide, probably cattle
and several quartz pebbles. The inhabitants appear to have thrown their food waste- shells
and animal bone- out the door of the circular stone house and in time this refuse developed
as a large spread down the slope of the island towards the enclosing cashel and rectangular
house.
Finds from the circular stone house and its associated habitation refuse included a
quernstone, shale axe, net-sinker, whet-stone, three pieces of flint, bronze strip, fourteen
large brad-like iron nails, seven iron knives and two perforated bone points.
Other excavated monastic structures comprised a cross-inscribed slab bearing ogham
inscription and a significant terraced shrine mound on a rocky knoll forming the highest point
of the island. The area of the shrine mound was partly investigated by O’Kelly who suggested
that the terraced walls may have functioned as a garden terrace. O’Kelly also identified a
stone cist with corner stones in a hollow to the southeast of the terraced area which has
been identified as a possible corner post shrine. O’Kelly also observed that the area of the
shrine and terraced walls produced a significant collection of quartz pebbles which he
suggested was relatively recent in date.
Excavations by Hayden in 2004/5 revealed that the area of the rocky knoll consisted of an
elaborate terraced shrine mound, which measured in excess of 26m in length by more than
20m in width. Over 9 terraces were excavated, the edges of which were defined by low stone
walls and their surfaces partly paved with Valentia slate and covered with white quartz
pebbles. The terraced shrine mound was found to extend beneath the circular stone house
(1) to the north.
The uppermost terrace had been removed though may have originally held a tent-shaped
gable shrine composed of large slabs of Valentia slate. O'Kelly’s possible corner post shrine
stood at the south-east corner of Terrace 5. Several burials and a stone-lined charnel pit were
excavated across the various terraces. A path was also identified which ran upslope from the
south-eastern entrance in the cashel wall up the eastern end of the terraced mound.
The third phase of monastic activity consisted in the construction of a rectangular stone
house (Fig. 154) and an enclosing cashel wall. Both this house and the enclosing cashel wall
post-dated the circular stone house as they were built upon the deposit of refuse associated
with this building, but the circular stone house was still in use after the cashel wall was built
since the spread of refuse continued to build up for a height of 1m against the wall’s inner
face.
The rectangular house (5.15m by 3.8m internally) was situated on the north-eastern edge of
the island and also pre-dated the construction of the cashel wall. It contained an internal
hearth, externally rounded corners and two doors in each of the building’s short sides (Fig.
154). Its walls, which survived to a maximum of 1.5m wide and 1m high, consisted of an
inner and outer built facing with a rubble and earth core. Along with the substantial walls,
fifteen internal postholes, thirteen set close to the wall base, provided supports for a roof
structure. The floor was covered with a layer of habitation refuse consisting mainly of limpet
and periwinkle shells with some animal and fish bone. Finds associated with the rectangular
house included two hammer-stones, perforated stone, two pieces of flint, bronze strip, eight
large brad-like iron nails and a socketed iron spade or mattock,
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