Papers by Stuart Rathbone
Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society, 2013
Neolithic and Bronze Age settlements in Britain and Ireland have, on occasion, been referred to a... more Neolithic and Bronze Age settlements in Britain and Ireland have, on occasion, been referred to as being prehistoric villages but there is little agreement as to what a settlement from these periods should consist of for it to be confidently identified as such. A particular problem is that the development of villages in Britain and Ireland is commonly seen as being a medieval phenomenon and most discussions regarding the essential characteristics of villages are centred on medieval evidence. This paper examines which features of a prehistoric settlement can be used to determine if the use of the term ‘village’ is appropriate, ultimately finding the number of contemporary households to be the primary concern. Sites which have been identified specifically as being Neolithic or Bronze Age villages are critically reviewed, as are a selection of sites where the designation may be appropriate but where the term has so far been avoided. The number of sites from both periods that could just...
Preliminary account of the excavation of an early medieval vertical watermill at Killoteran, Coun... more Preliminary account of the excavation of an early medieval vertical watermill at Killoteran, County Waterford. The excavation was excavated by Ian Russell, then of ACS Ltd, and this report was co-authored with Donald Murphy of ACS Ltd.
"Corrstown in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, is a highly important Bronze Age site. T... more "Corrstown in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, is a highly important Bronze Age site. This came to light during excavations carried out by Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency in 2002-2003, the results of which are detailed here. A total of 74 Middle Bronze Age roundhouse platforms was identified and organised into pairs or short rows, the majority of which appeared to be contemporary. The Corrstown village represents a site type hitherto unknown in Britain and Ireland, where the standard settlement pattern consists of roundhouses occurring in relative isolation or in small conglomerations. A two-tier network of roads and pathways also serviced the village: one large cobbled roadway and a second probable roadway (perhaps left un-surfaced) were identified along with a multitude of smaller paths leading from the entrances of the houses onto the roadways. The large cobbled road extended beyond the village perimeter, indicating connectivity with the wider landscape. The artefact assemblage from the site was dominated by domestic pottery (over 9,000 sherds) and lithics (over 165,000 pieces). A small assemblage of stone axes and moulds was also retrieved. Radiocarbon analysis indicated that the village had three phases, an initial growth phase (commencing after c.1550 BC), followed by a considerable occupation phase (lasting up to 200 years) and a decline phase (commencing c.1150 BC). Early medieval occupation was also observed at Corrstown and the results are included as an appendix. Another Bronze Age settlement site, also excavated by Archaeological Consultancy Services, is also included as an appendix. It is hoped that this volume represents a beginning of the study of the Corrstown village, a site of national and international significance that urges archaeologists to reconfigure the settlement structure and associated social patterns of the Bronze Age. 232p, 137 illus, 15 in colour (Oxbow Books, 2011) "
The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology
Few researchers have investigated shell midden sites in western Ireland. Here, we discuss the geo... more Few researchers have investigated shell midden sites in western Ireland. Here, we discuss the geoarchaeological approach undertaken at an Atlantic Ocean-facing dunefield shell midden site in County Sligo, Connacht. Ground penetrating radar, magnetic susceptibility, and apparent electrical resistivity were used to map subsurface features and identify possible locations for subsequent augering. Our results show that magnetic susceptibility was the most successful geophysical technique in terms of the identification of shell-rich deposits and hearth locations, indicating the value of this method for future studies in dunefield midden sites. Most of the midden material in the dunefield was found to be surface scatter subject to substantial mixing by aeolian events, common in stormy northwestern Ireland. This study illustrates the unique challenges and productive approaches to geoarchaeological surveys in dynamic dunefield environments and discusses insights into post-medieval exploitation of coastal environments in rural western Ireland.
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Papers by Stuart Rathbone