Field system in Garretstown

Located on the S-facing crest of a broad low hill and on the plateau to its N. Two E-W boundary ditches, placed c. 25-43m apart, cross the excavated area, converging at E and W but not meeting. They would seem to relate primarily to the rectangular enclosure to the W of the excavated area and to have been established in sections. The S boundary cuts the ring-ditch (ME038-071001-) and its E end is cut by the fosse of the rath (ME038-072----), while the N ditch truncates the ring-ditches (ME038-071004-) and (ME038-071005-) and connects with the fosse of the rath, although that sequence has not been fully resolved. The original S ditch (L 78m plus; max. Wth 4m; D c. 1.4m) was dated by OSL to 202-413 AD. It was re-cut three times, and a sherd of E-ware, dated to the sixth or seventh centuries AD, was recovered from its second re-cut, while a sherd of locally made high medieval pottery dating to the thirteenth or fourteenth century was recorded from the final re-cutting. The N ditch (L c. 104m; Wth c. 2.2m; D c. 0.8m) had two sterile fills, but a lens of charcoal in the upper fill yielded a C14 date of 357-50 cal. BC (BETA 246979), while an OSL date of 2-213 AD was provided by the topmost fill, from which a sherd of E-ware was also recovered. It appears to have cut the long but slight N-S gullies associated with the rath. From the SW edge of the excavation a V-shaped ditch (L 40m; max. Wth 2.4m; max. D 0.6m) arcs NE towards the S boundary but stops 1m from it. Its single fill was largely sterile, but a lens of charcoal-rich material near its base yielded a C14 date of 668-870 cal. AD (BETA 246980). This was the second iteration of the ditch and its earlier version produced a C14 date of 605-769 cal. AD (BETA 246981) and cut two rectangular pits in its base. One of the pits (dims 4.7m x 1.8m; D 0.6m) with rounded corners was cut through bedrock. It was aligned with the later ditch but was filled with sterile clay. Also, from the NW edge of the excavation a V-shaped ditch (L 40m; max. Wth c. 2m; max. D 1m) arcs SE towards the N boundary and connects with it. Animal bone from the top fill produced a C14 date of 695-967 cal. AD (BETA 246978). (Rathbone 2009, 8-12) See the attached plans adapted from Rathbone (2009, figs 14, 15) _1 Site plan; _5; Interpretive plan; Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 21 April 2022