Habitation site in Ranelagh

There were no recognisable hut sites or house sites anywhere within the concentric enclosure, but there were numerous other features, although it cannot be absolutely certain to which enclosure they might relate. At the centre of Enclosure A was a large subcircular pit (dims 2.3m x 1.91m; D 0.36m), which had a cluster of post-holes around its rim and whose clay fill produced a socketed iron tool and some bones. There were three hearths, one within Enclosure B at SE and two outside Enclosure C to the N, but none has any particular associations. There were seven other pits (dims 1.24-3.5m x 1.14-1.86m; D 0.24-0.64m) with what is regarded as industrial waste outside Enclosure A and within Enclosure B, although their contents might just as well be redeposited habitation material. The pits were filled with dump layers, from which a lot of bone and iron objects were recovered as well as ash and charcoal. Two of these pits were dug into the fill of Enclosure B’s enclosing fosse at W but, although some crucibles were recovered, no furnace bottoms or metal-working areas were recorded anywhere. (Delaney and Ní Cheallacháin 2017, 18-19) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 8 December 2020