House — Neolithic in Loughgur

In rocky pasture on the S-facing slope of Knockadoon Peninsula, 105m N of and overlooking Lough Gur. The Neolithic round house (Site D House III) was discovered during a campaign of archaeological excavations over 18 seasons led by Professor Seán P. Ó Ríordáin at Lough Gur (1954, 384-413). The site is located within an area of dense archaeological activity dating principally from the Neolithic and Bronze Age up to the present day around the lake (Cleary 2018). Two other houses (Houses I (LI032-022016-); and House II (LI032-022017-) were found during the archaeological excavations at Site D. Further Neolithic and Bronze Age settlement is located adjacent to the site. Archaeological excavations by Ó Ríordáin at Site A (LI032-022010-) were located 100m to SW. Archaeological excavations by Ó Ríordáin at Site C (LI032-022012/013/014/015-) were located c. 20m to SW. Many other archaeological sites are located on the peninsula, including Circle K (LI032-022028-) located 100m to NW and Circle J (LI032-022020-) located 45m to NE. The Neolithic house (LI032-022018- Site D House III) is not depicted on historic OSi maps. The house is not visible on OSi orthoimages taken 2005-12 or on Digital Globe orthoimages taken 2011-2013, although the grass covered site of the house is visible between two N-S orientated bands of bedrock 12m apart. Rose Cleary (2018, 87-91) described the site as follows: ‘in a small, narrow valley E of Site C. The architectural style of circular and oval houses suggests a middle Neolithic date (3600-3000 BC), although there are few details on the provenance of the finds. Two post-built houses (Houses II (LI032-022017-) and III (LI032-022018-) were recognised on the excavation, although Ó Ríordáin suggested that more than one construction phase was evident at both houses and that each may have been rebuilt. Bedrock in the area of Site D was close to the surface, and some of the structural posts may have been wedged into bedrock crevices. House I (LI032-022016-) at Site D was rectangular in plan with a stone foundation and was built in the Bronze Age. House III a-c was to the S site of House II at a distance of c. 2m. At least two houses and possibly a third appear to have been built. It is not possible to determine the stratigraphic sequence based on the published record, but it may be that the smaller circular house (House IIIa) was contemporary with House IIa and was replaced by a larger oval-shaped house (House IIIb) similar to House IIb. House IIIa was circular in plan with an estimated diameter of c. 6m.The evidence for a foundation on the N side was a 1.5m-long slot-trench for a plank-built wall, a line of stones and a feature that Ó Ríordáin described as a ‘step’. This ‘step’ extended along the N and W sides of the projected outline of House IIIa and probably marked the line of a more extensive slot-trench. Post-holes on the S and E sides marked upright posts, which probably had intermediary wattle walling plastered with mud. House IIIb was larger and oval in plan, with estimated diameters of 7.5m N-S and 3m E-W. Its foundation outline was a slot-trench along the E and part of the S sides; a ‘step’ in the ground level on the N side was also likely to have been part of the slot-trench. Large post-holes within the slot-trench on the E side marked upright posts. On the S side the trench terminated at a post-hole, possibly indicating a door-jamb for a S-facing entrance. A third slot-trench was cut c. 0.5-0.7m from the E perimeter of House IIIb and may represent the remains of a third house (House IIIc) or a rebuilding of the E side of House IIIb. It varied in width, with a maximum of 0.5m; no depths are recorded. A post-hole at the terminus on the S side may have held a door-jamb for a S-facing door. A centrally placed hearth was recorded within the footprint of Houses IIIa and IIIb. Ó Ríordáin described the hearth as a heavily burnt area, suggesting longevity of use whereby the hearth was in continuous use in two sequential houses. Five post-holes within the floor area of Houses IIIa and IIIb may have marked the locations of structural roof-support uprights in either house. The grass covered site of the house is visible between two N-S orientated bands of bedrock 12m on Google Earth orthoimage taken 28/06/2018. See attached Google Earth orthoimage Compiled by: Edmond O’Donovan Date of upload: 12 November 2020