Ringfort of Aghadegnan

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The ring fort of Aghadegnan is located near Templemichael, north of Longford in the townland of Aghadegnan ( Irish Achadh Duígeannáin ) in County Longford in Ireland . It is a simply walled council with a diameter of about 61.0 m, on the west side of a field border, which is partially cut through by a field fence. In the 19th century, the system was partially leveled, the interior was heavily modified by agricultural cultivation and a large part of the ditch was incorporated into the field drainage. Two excavation campaigns that examined the northern half were undertaken in 1991 and 1993.

The excavations revealed a palisade trench and at least four round structures defined by post holes. A structure intersected by the stockade ditch gave a calibrated C14 date of AD 431. Two C14 dates from iron working on the upper layers gave a calibrated date of AD 534. Although post holes of structures were found inside, the stratigraphy was here almost completely disturbed by the later agricultural cultivation. It was therefore impossible to associate the structures within the fort with any phase of activity.

A C14 dating of the animal bones on the basal layer of the rampart gave a date of 636 AD. At the base of the trench, C14 dates of wood and bone gave calibrated dates between the late 7th and late 9th centuries AD. A wooden one Structure was exposed along each side of the trench at the entrance. The finds contained a bronze needle of uncertain date, a millstone fragment and a loom weight. No datable finds from the Ringfortzeit were found. This multi-phase site is an important addition to other ring forts as it indicates the likelihood of an open settlement ahead of the closed settlement. It is also one of the few sites that provides evidence of palisades that predate the wall and moat dating.

literature

  • Judith Carroll: Aghadegnan ringfort, Templemichael In: Isabel Bennett (ed.): Excavations 1991. Wordwell Ltd. 1992 Bray, p. 32
  • Judith Carroll: Aghadegnan ringfort, Templemichael In: Medieval Archeology 39, 1995, p. 269

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ A place of the same name is located in the village in County Tipperary

Web links

Coordinates: 53 ° 44 ′ 30.3 "  N , 7 ° 48 ′ 21.2"  W.