Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Dunbell Big

In the 19th century a number of the enclosures in Dunbell Big were excavated (Prim 1852-3, 119-27; 1853-5, 397-408). Prim (1852-3, 120-26) states that, ‘At a distance of two or three fields from the great rath [KK024-016---- = E]’, there are three other enclosures [KK024-010001- = D; KK024-011---- = C; KK024-012---- =B based on Prim’s map 1872-3, 225], ‘situated each about four hundred feet [c. 122m] from the other…One of these enclosures was levelled and tilled, without being trenched, a considerable time since. A second was partially trenched in the month of May, 1842, for the purpose of spreading out on the surrounding land, as a manure, the material of which it was composed, a rich black clay largely impregnated with organic remains. The third rath has now been subjected to the same process [‘trenched’ and levelled] for a similar purpose, and thus each of these three forts is now nearly obliterated’. In the third enclosure several artefacts were uncovered as well as an, ‘enormous quantity of bones of animals was everywhere met with. These chiefly consist of remains of deer, oxen, horses, swine, the calf and domestic fowl, the two first being the most numerous…The largest quantity of bones was found in the inner fosse…However, bones were found in thick layers all through the central mound of the rath to the depth of a couple of feet from the surface. The cooking places, in which the flesh of these animals was dressed for use, were also found. They consisted of eight or ten small pits, circular in form, and not of greater diameter than a foot and a-half, or depth than two feet. Each was quite full of charcoal, burned stones, and charred bones. Some of the deposits of ashes were as white as turf ashes, whilst there was also remains of wood not entirely consumed. Fragments of a substance, resembling slag or clinkers, were also found in some of these pits, which appeared to have been used as furnaces wherein were forged the rude iron implements of which specimens turned up. These cooking pits and furnaces were not faced with stones, but were simply dug in the floor of the rath’. Amongst the finds there were portions of nine querns, one of which was decorated with ‘concentric mouldings’; hone stones; ‘piles of round pebbles’; ‘small flat, rounded stones, pierced in the centre’; ‘circlets of black slate and jet’; bone objects including pins and beads and a comb; a bronze pin and two fibulae; a small iron square bell and other iron objects including a fibula, an axe-head, knife blades, a chisel, a small reaping-hook and a horse-shoe and a few fragments of ‘very coarse baked and glazed pottery’. In a subsequent article, Prim (1853-3, 402) mentions that, ‘no further traces of pottery ware of any kind have been discovered in any of the Dunbel raths since 1852, when I had only to report the finding of a few small fragments of a single vessel’. On an aerial photograph (CUCAP ATA014, 19 July 1967) the ringfort is visible as a roughly circular cropmark and appears to be defined by two closely spaced fosses. Between September 1990 and January 1991 remote sensing and trial trenching was carried out (Cassidy 1990, 38-9). It was established that the enclosure was oval (overall dims. 50m E-W) with a causeway entrance and was defined by a bank and an external rock-cut fosse (Wth 4m; D c. 2m) which was V-shaped in section (ibid.). The fosse contained rubble fill, interpreted as remnants of the original bank, as well as redeposited soil and animal bone and, in the lower fill, a barrel-lock key of probable 8th-10th century date (ibid.). Internally five 3m squares were opened revealing a hearth fill in the SW area and some post-hole features in the N and NW (ibid. 39). Also uncovered was the foundation trench of a 6m square structure (KK024-010006-) and a 6.5m circular structure (KK024-010007-), both of which respect one another (ibid.). Associated finds included an iron ringed pin, a bronze ring, large quantities of slag and stone objects (Cassidy 1991, 20). Pre-dating the ringfort were two prehistoric burials (KK024-010005-; KK024-010008-) (ibid.). Prehistoric finds from various excavated areas included worked flint and chert (ibid.). The monument has since been completely quarried out. See attached: KK024-010001- aerial photograph (CUCAP ATA014, 19 July 1967) KK024-010002- Prim's map 1872-3, 225 Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 9 November 2021