EMAP_Progress_Reports_2009_2.pdf - The Heritage Council

Tipperary
stones, apparently the bottom course of a rough wall, survived on its west side and one
shallow posthole was found against its east side near the northern end. This feature is later
than House 1 and may represent the remains of a robbed out souterrain.
A pit-like feature, identified as a possible corn-drying kiln, cut into the inner slope of the
southern enclosure ditch (Cutting 1) and contained a black layer of carbonized grain similar to
that recovered inside the fill of the enclosing ditch. A double row of stones running west
along the ditch may represent the demolished remains of the kiln’s flue. A calibrated 2Σ
radiocarbon date from the grain dated the kiln to A.D. 937-1172 (see below).
A number of other early pits and a hearth were uncovered within the various cuttings (2, 4
and 6) within the enclosure interior. One shallow irregular depression in cutting 4 contained a
quantity of charcoal and iron slag and indicates ironworking on site. An undated standing
stone situated in the centre of the site (Cutting 2) was held in place by packing stones inside
a large shallow oblong pit (0.75m maximum depth).
Two parallel low banks (20m apart) with external ditches ran westwards from the oval
enclosure and may have formed part of some type of enclosure annex. The ditches were
comparable both in size and fill to the main enclosure ditch and maybe roughly
contemporary. Finds from the ditch included a small E ware pottery vessel recovered in a redeposited
context in an upper fill and a small fragment of iron.
The southern bank of the annex cut across a long straight re-cut narrow trench (0.8-1m wide
and 0.6m deep) which continued in both directions for 20m beyond the excavation area. A
small piece of iron slag was the only find recovered from this feature. Four cultivation furrows
inside the annex appear to be later than the annex banks.
The post-medieval cemetery consisted of roughly 80 excavated burials; all from within the
eastern two thirds of the enclosure interior and none related to the standing stone. Burials
rarely disturbed each other suggesting that they were marked by upright stones or slabs. The
burials cut across earlier pits, postholes and other features and shroud pins and a clay pipe
from a number of graves confirm a post-medieval date.
Evidence for spinning and weaving on the site was suggested by the perforated stone disc
(thread separator) inside House 1 as well as two spindle-whorls from the site. Iron smelting is
also indicated by the recovery of slag though no furnace was uncovered. The small
fragmentary faunal assemblage comprised cattle, pig, sheep or goat, wild game and a red
deer antler fragment. Wheat and oats were grown and were ground with querns recovered
from the site.
The two main chronological divisions consisted of an early medieval occupational phase and a
mainly post-medieval burial phase. The piece of E ware indicates that the site was occupied
from at least the sixth/mid seventh century A.D. Continued early medieval occupation is
indicated by the circular houses, the later possible souterrain and the tenth-twelfth century
kiln.
The enclosure is about twice the size as the typical ‘ringfort’ and is more comparable to the
dimensions of ecclesiastical enclosures. The lack of any church, definite early burials or crossslabs
might suggest that it was not ecclesiastical though the limited nature of excavation
cannot preclude their existence. The parish of ‘Kildadrum’ (1302-06) and Kyllydiradruim
(1450) was recorded in two medieval sources though its absence from the Civil Survey (1659)
might imply that ‘this was a parish in name only with no actual church structure’.
The re-use of long abandoned sites for worship and burial by the Catholic community after
the Reformation is not uncommon and could explain the post-medieval cemetery. Though
marked as a graveyard called ‘Killederdadrum’ in the first edition (1841) O.S. map, the
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