Field system in An Gabhlán Ard,an Gabhlán Beag

A very extensive system of old field boundaries occupies the lower S slopes of the central mountain ridge to N of Lispole village, on the open moorland directly N and upslope of the modern field system. The walls can be traced from the E side of Boherbrack townland, through the townlands of Gowlane Beg, Gowlaneard and Gowlane East, to the W side of Puckisland townland, an area measuring about 2 kilometres E-W x 1 kilometre N-S, and some of the walls can be followed to the tops of the mountains. The peat cover in the general area is not deep but it is exploited for local use and it has been almost completely cut-away over most of the area where the walls have been recorded. However, local information indicates that the walls were formerly buried beneath the peat and in a few instances they can be seen to disappear under uncut bog. It was not possible on this occasion to survey the entire area in detail, but a sample area, measuring 780m E-W x 570m N-S, in the townlands of Gowlane Beg and Gowlaneard, was planned. The size of the fields defined by the walls varies considerably, but, in general, the system consists of a series of long parallel N-S walls, some of the long strips thus formed being divided into smaller areas by cross-walls. However, the system is by no means regular. The boundaries themselves consist either of lines of orthostats, .5m high or less, with smaller stones in between, or of a bank c. 1 to 1.5m wide. Both types of construction can occur along the same wall, but the banks are more common in the S part of the system. Larger orthostats also occasionally occur, often at the junction of two walls, and some occur in pairs as if defining entrances. Two stretches of trackway, defined by 2 closely-spaced, parallel walls, occur at the E and SE edge of the area surveyed. A number of other features of archaeological interest occur within the field system, including a standing stone (a), a cup-and-circle marked stone (b), a cairn (c), and enclosures and hut sites; a 2nd standing stone occurs near the E extremity of the system (KE044-036----), outside the limits of the accompanying plan. Other examples of rock art have previously been recorded in Gowlane East townland (KE044-130----) but their precise location has not been identified. The presence of the standing stones and rock art indicates Early Bronze Age activity in the area, but the date of the field system is not known and its relationship with the enclosures and huts is not clear. (d) Enclosure: A semi-circular arc of low, barely discernible walling, c. 15m in diameter, may be the remains of a circular enclosure. (e) Hut: The wall of this oval hut, 7m E-W x 4.8m N-S internally, survives as a ring of upright slabs which average .7m in height. The probable entrance at SE is defined on one side by a collapsed upright and on the other by drystone walling. The interior lies .35m below the external ground level. (f) Enclosure: A circular, stone walled enclosure measuring 10.5m in diameter internally. The wall is for the most part reduced to a band of stone collapse, .5m high, but some short sections of both the inner and outer faces remain to a height of .3m; it is .95m wide. It is not clear where the original entrance lay. (g) Hut: A circular drystone-built foundation measuring 4.7m in diameter internally with a 1.15m wide entrance at SE. The wall is 1.15m to 1.7m thick and survives to a maximum height of .6m. (h) Huts: Three poorly-preserved circular foundations are incorporated into field walls at the SW extremity of the surveyed area. They average 3.5m in diameter internally. (i) Possible huts: This site is marked by a raised stony area measuring 14m N-S x 8m E-W overall, with one short stretch of external drystone facing surviving to a height of .4m. This may represent the remains of a rectangular house, or of a pair of conjoined huts, but too little survives to allow definite classification. (j) Hut: A short distance to E of the latter site are the ruined foundations of a probably circular hut measuring 3.5m in diameter internally with a .95m wide entrance at ESE defined by 2 upright slabs. This feature is not marked on the accompanying plan. The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 29. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 3 August 2013