A Survey of Monuments of Archaeological and Historical Interest in the Barony of Bunratty Lower, Co. Clare: Part 1: Commentary: Prehistoric and early Christian sites: Ringforts and Stoneforts: Summary

Clare County Library

Clare Archaeology

A Survey of Monuments of Archaeological and Historical Interest in the Barony of Bunratty Lower, Co. Clare by William Gerrard Ryan

Part 1: Commentary: Prehistoric and early Christian sites: Summary

The Aughinish Island excavations show us that ringforts/stoneforts were constructed in the late Bronze Age, and perhaps even earlier, with a continuation to medieval times. The main period of ringfort/stonefort construction, however, was the early Christian period.

Periods of occupation in the Barony as evidenced by the monuments of archaeological interest:

Neolithic/Early Bronze Age	=	Wedge-tombs.
Bronze Age	=	Cairns/tumuli, standing stones (?), ring barrows, fulachta fiadha. Also possibly early ringforts/stoneforts.
Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age	=	More ringforts/stoneforts. Ring barrows, fulachta fiadha, crannogs, Mooghaun Hillfort may have begun now.
Iron Age	=	Mooghaun Hillfort? Ringforts/stoneforts, crannogs.
Early Christian period	=	Ringforts/stoneforts, crannogs.

Main