Structure in Knockhouse Lower

Within a ringfort (WA009-003001-) situated on a gentle N-facing slope. The ringfort was identified as a cropmark on an aerial photograph (OSAP, 9859-95, 24) and was fully excavated in 2015 in advance of a development following the re-zoning of the land for industrial use (Walsh and Ficner 2015). The excavation revealed a sunken structure (L 5.4m; Wth 1.2-2.5m; max. D 1.1m) in the W quadrant of the interior, c. 5m SW of post built structure (WA009-003003-) (Walsh and Ficner 2015, 11). The sunken structure had a figure-of-eight form with a drystone structure at the narrower E end which defined an entrance ‘creep’ into a lower chamber at the W end of the structure (ibid.). The chamber was constructed of drystone flanking walls comprising rough stones 3-4 courses high, topped with at least two lintels only one of which survived in situ. There was a post-hole at each internal angle suggesting there was a timber-framed superstructure (ibid.). Finds from this structure included antle comb fragments, a ceramic bead and a rotary sharpening stone fragment (ibid.). The excavation of the ringfort interior also revealed two post built structures (WA009-003003-; WA009-003004-) and two Man-made underground passages (WA009-003005-; WA009-003006-), the latter immediately S of the sunken structure. The finds found during the excavation suggest that the ringfort dates to the 8th-10th centuries AD. (Walsh and Ficner 2015) Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 13 January 2016