Darren in Ireland
The Darren of Ireland can be dated back to the Bronze Age through a number of recent archaeological digs . The structures certainly played an important role in grain storage before, especially in climates as humid as Ireland .
Darren typically consist of a recessed structure that was keyhole or achtformig. The basic form, made of dry masonry, was covered with a tholos-like structure made of plagues, wood, stone or clay and straw. In almost all archaeological excavations, only the pit construction has been preserved. Kilns were used until the 19th century.
It was long believed that Darren were an agricultural innovation that reached Ireland from Roman-occupied Britain, where similar Darren ( Dull site , Grain Darre von Collfryn ) are known. This opinion was fueled by the fact that the vast majority of the Irish kilns first found date from the late Iron Age (0–400 AD) or the early Middle Ages (400–1200 AD).
Knockgraffon
Knockgraffon Kiln, in County Tipperary, is an eight-shaped structure from the Middle Bronze Age that was excavated in 2008 by Colm Moriarty at a Late Bronze Age round house. The 3.8 m long structure consisted of two concave pits, which were connected by a short hot air duct. The larger western pit showed scorch marks on the walls and floor, while the smaller eastern pit was probably the place where the grain dried. A lot of indeterminate cereal grains and three barley grains were found. The fuel analysis showed that oak, ash, hazel and hawthorn wood were used. A grain of cereal from the oven base dates to 1667–1496 BC. And makes Knockgraffon the oldest kiln found in Ireland.
Carrigtogher
A slightly younger kiln was excavated by Liam Hackett on the new N7 motorway, also in County Tipperary. The kiln was very similar in size and shape to that of Knockgraffon and was dated 1520–1435 BC. Dated. Samples showed charred wheat grains, indeterminate grains and hazelnut shells. The Middle Bronze Age kilns are an important addition to Irish archaeological finds. Knockgraffon and Carrigtogher are not the only examples. A keyhole-shaped kiln comes from Kilsharvan, County Meath , a wedge-shaped kiln from Clonmoney North in County Clare and a roughly rectangular kiln from Laughanstown, County Dublin . There is also a kiln from Ballybarney in County Wicklow and a possible kiln pit from Doonmoon in County Limerick .
- Drying sites in Ireland
Web links
literature
- M. Gowen (Ed.): Three Irish Gaspipelines: New Archaeological Evidence in Munster, Wordwell, Dublin 1988.
- L. Hackett: 'the earliest cereal-drying kiln in Ireland?' in M Stanley et al. (eds.) Seanda, NRA Archeology Magazine, Issue 5. NRA, Dublin 2010