Clogher Fort

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Clogher Fort (or Clogher Cashel , Cashelmore , Irish An Caiseal Mór , "the great Cashel") is located in the townland of Clogher ( An Clochar ) in Coolavin Demesne ( Cúil Ó bhFinn ) west of monasteries in County Sligo in Ireland .

The dun is well preserved and is surrounded by 19th century buildings. It consists of a round outer wall about 2.0 to 4.3 m high with a diameter of 26 m, which is built from large boulders at the base and smaller ones in the upper area. There are a number of steps on the inside of the wall that give access to the wall. The access to the interior is on the southeast side and is a 1.8 m wide passage.

Duns or Cashels are the rarer equivalent of the earthen Raths . With around 45,000 pieces, they are Ireland's most common type of monument. Dating them is difficult, most of them originated in the Iron Age or later and were still in use from around AD 800 to 1500. The stone forts belong mainly to the early Christian period (450–800 AD), some date from earlier times.

The basement

The inside of the dun is about one meter higher than the outside level, perhaps to better accommodate the basement . The underground structures usually consist of corridors and chambers. In the case of basements , a distinction is made between “earth-cut”, “rock-cut”, “mixed”, “stone built” and “wooden” (e.g. Coolcran, County Fermanagh ).

A basement is located northeast of the entrance. It leads to the wall, turns left, extends through the wall and ends in a short chamber. In the southwestern part of the dun, eight steps lead down to another basement. It extends 8.1 m to the south, leads as a crawl under the wall and in a curved arc over a considerable distance to the west.

purpose

The purpose of the basement is not entirely unknown since the Windwick excavation. Interpretations as defensive structures, stables or storage facilities were rejected. Most likely a cultic function.

Basement goods

Finds in basement are rare. However, found in several, e.g. B. Downview, in Westpark, near Belfast , flat pottery, which, although not datable, apparently dates from early Christian times in the northeastern part of the island. It is called Basement Ware , although it is more numerous in ring forts like Lissue and Ballyaghagan in County Antrim and in Crannógs like that in Lough Faughan in County Down or in settlements.

The Cure Stones

The 5th century Saint Attracta was a noted faith healer. Its sacred source outside of monasteries is said to be effective in healing various diseases such as warts. The spring is surrounded by a wall on which several round stones are cemented. Visitors like to handle the stones, while women seek help with childbirth and take the stone ball home with them for a certain period of time. The local custom was almost forgotten until recently, but has been revived and the fertility aspect of the "snake eggs" is applied in the old ways.

See also

literature

  • Mark Clinton : The Souterrains of Ireland. 2001, ISBN 1-869857-49-6 .
  • Matthew Stout : The Irish Ringfort (= Irish settlement studies 5). Group for the Study of Irish Historic Settlement / Four Courts Press, Dublin 2001, ISBN 1-85182-300-X .
  • Jürgen E. Walkowitz: The megalithic syndrome. European cult sites of the Stone Age (= contributions to the prehistory and early history of Central Europe. Vol. 36). Beier & Beran, Langenweißbach 2003, ISBN 3-930036-70-3 .
  • Peter Harbison : Guide to the Naional Monuments in the Republic of Ireland Gill and Macmillan, Dublin 1992 ISBN 0-7171-1956-4 p. 214

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Ian Armit: The abandonment of Souterrains: evolution, catastrophe or dislocation? In: Proc Soc Antiq Scot . tape 129 (1999) , pp. 577-596 ( online [PDF]).
  2. ↑ http://www.orkneyjar.com/archaeology/2007/09/09/a-fresh-look-at-orkneys-earth-houses/

Coordinates: 53 ° 56 ′ 4.1 ″  N , 8 ° 30 ′ 50.1 ″  W.