Hillforts Map

Home / Republic of Ireland / Galway / Dún Aonghasa

Dún Aonghasa

Galway, Republic of Ireland · Atlas IR0733

Dún Aonghasa is a promontory fort in Kilmurvy, Galway, Republic of Ireland.

Other names on the record: Kilmurvy.

It is recorded as extant, with a partial multivallate rampart form, surface evidence of stone wall, and an enclosed area of 5.7 hectares.

Banks or ramparts are the remains most likely to be visible.

The topographic record places it on a coastal promontory and a cliff, plateau edge, or scarp, at 87 m, and facing east.

Recorded land use includes pasture.

Dating evidence is recorded for before 1200 BC and 1200–800 BC (C14). Reliability is recorded as A - High.

Location

Atlas number
IR0733 (733)
Country
Republic of Ireland
Current county or unitary authority
Galway
Historic county
Galway
Parish, community, or townland
Kilmurvy
Latitude
53.12590
Longitude
-9.76636
Altitude
87 m

Form and condition

Type
promontory fort
Condition
Extant
Morphology
partial multivallate
Complete rampart circuit
No
Number of ramparts
4
Ramparts by quadrant
NE 4, SE 0, SW 0, NW 3
Number of ditches
0
Possible original entrances
3
Breaks through the ramparts
7
Enclosed area
5.7 ha
Enclosure areas
0.15 ha, 0.72 ha, 0.92 ha, 5.7 ha
Footprint
5.85 ha
Enclosing works, as visible
stone wall
Enclosing works, excavated
stone wall
Also recorded
chevaux de frise
Entrance forms
Simple Gap (North); Blocked (North)

Landscape

Topographic position
coastal promontory and cliff, plateau edge, or scarp
Aspect
east
Land use
pasture

Dating

Dating
before 1200 BC and 1200–800 BC
Dating evidence
C14
Dating reliability
A - High

Interior and investigation

Interior excavation
pits, postholes, and roundhouses
Finds
pottery, metal, metalworking, human bones, animal bones, lithics, and environmental material
Investigations
1st Identified Map Depiction (1842); Excavation (1992-1995)

Identifiers

HER
Archaeological Survey of Ireland SMR Database GA110-039
National record
record GA 110
Wikidata
Q31068630

Sources

References

  1. Cotter, C. 2012a. The Western Stone Forts Project: Excavations at Dñn Aonghasa and Dñn Eoghanachta, I, Wordwell, Dublin.
  2. Cotter, C. 2012b. The Western Stone Forts Project: Excavations at Dñn Aonghasa and Dñn Eoghanachta, II, Wordwell, Dublin.
  3. Feeney-Johnson, C. 2012. Amber beads. In Cotter, C., The Western Stone Forts Project: Excavations at Dñn Aonghasa and Dñn Eoghanachta, II. Discovery Programme Monograph, Wordwell, Dublin. 93 _ 98.
  4. FitzGerald, M. and Warner, R. 2012. Blue glass beads. In Cotter, C., The Western Stone Forts Project: Excavations at Dñn Aonghasa and Dñn Eoghanachta, II. Discovery Programme Monograph, Wordwell, Dublin. 98 _ 102.
  5. Gosling, C. 1993. Archaeological Inventory of County Galway, Vol. I. The Stationary Office, Dublin.
  6. Harbison, P 1971 Wooden and stone chevaux-de frise in central and western Europe. Proc Prehist Soc 37 (1971), 195-225 (203-5, fig 9)
  7. McCarthy, M. 2012. Fish bone and sea mammal bone. In Cotter, C., The Western Stone Forts Project: Excavations at Dñn Aonghasa and Dñn Eoghanachta, II. Discovery Programme Monograph, Wordwell, Dublin. 167 _ 174.
  8. OCarroll, F. 2012a. Clay moulds. In Cotter, C., The Western Stone Forts Project: Excavations at Dñn Aonghasa and Dñn Eoghanachta, II. Discovery Programme Monograph, Wordwell. Dublin. 28 _ 41.
  9. OCarroll, F. 2012b. The crucible assemblage. In Cotter, C., The Western Stone Forts Project: Excavations at Dñn Aonghasa and Dñn Eoghanachta, II. Discovery Programme Monograph, Wordwell, Dublin. 42 _ 44.
  10. OConnell, M. and Roden, C. 1994. The natural history of the sea. In Waddell, J., OConnell, J. and Korff, A. (eds.) The Book of Aran. Tr Eolas, Kinvara. 47 _ 56.
  11. Warner, R. 2012. «The radiocarbon dates from Dñn Aonghasa, in C. Cotter, The Western Stone Forts Project: Excavations at Dñn Aonghasa and Dñn Eoghanachta, II. 211 _ 224.