Creativity, History and Technology

History (Continued)

The Forradh (or 'royal seat') is a prominent flat-topped mound surrounded by a ditch and - for most of its circumference - by two banks with an intervening ditch.The internal arrangement of the ditches suggests that this is a large bi-vallate ring barrow, an impression strengthened by the fact that three small circular burial mounds have been deliberately incorporated into the larger inner bank (on the northeast, southeast and west). The outer bank is noticeably narrower and may be a later addition; since its size is similar to the adjacent Teach Chormac, it is possible that it represents an attempt to physically link the later habitation site to the burial complex.

Geomagnetic survey has revealed a puzzling funnel-shaped feature, possibly palisade trenches, widening from approximately 8m near the entrance gap to roughly 20m towards the ringfort. Geophysical prospection has also confirmed the existence of the entrance on the south and has shown that a linear positive magnetic feature just inside the internal ditch there is also interrupted by a gap about 3m wide.

This feature may be a continuation of the palisade trench identified by Ó Ríordáin, but there is no corresponding gap in the internal ditch. The same is true of the ditch at the northwest entrance, where geophysical survey has also failed to record a gap in the fosse even though, there are positive magnetic traces of the possible palisade trench. Two conjoined earthworks are the most visible monuments in Ráith na Rí. The circular earthwork now called Teach Chormac (Cormac's House: the supposed dwelling of the heroic king Cormac Mac Airt), is a bi-vallate ringfort; The enclosed are is flat with a low sub-rectangular mound (traces of a house?). Just of centre and is surrounded by two earthen banks with an intervening ditch.

The overall diameter is 73m and the entrance, with causeway through the ditch is on the northwest. The Forradh (or 'royal seat') is a prominent flat-topped mound surrounded by a ditch and - for most of its circumference - by two banks with an intervening ditch. The internal arrangement of the ditches suggests that this is a large bi-vallate ring barrow, an impression strengthened by the fact that three small circular burial mounds have been deliberately incorporated into the larger inner bank (on the northeast, southeast and west).

The outer bank is noticeably narrower and may be a later addition; since its size is similar to the adjacent Teach Chormac, it is possible that it represents an attempt to physically link the later habitation site to the burial complex. A similar conjoined earthwork carnfree near Rath Croghan. A pillar stone of Newry granite on the summit of the Forradh stands 1.55m high and is said to have been originally located near the 'Mound of the Hostages' to the north.

For this reason it is today believed to be the Lia Fáil, the 'stone of destiny:' a stone, which uttered a cry at the inauguration of a legitimate king of Tara. The Medieval name Dumha na nGiall, 'the Mound of the Hostages,' is applied to a large circular mound, 21m in diameter and 3.5m high, at the northern end of Ráith na Rí. Excavations in 1955-1956 and 1959 have shown that it is an early prehistoric monument; a small undifferentiated passage tomb, possibly built around 3000 BC, was covered by a cairn, which was later enveloped in a mantle of earth containing numerous later burials of the late third and early second millennia BC.

Part of what may have been a trench for a timber palisade was found beneath this monument and is the earliest identified feature on the hill. Conceivably part pf a later 4th millennium BC enclosure, this ditch has produced a radiocarbon date of 3355-2465 BC.  The non-defensive internal ditch of the great enclosure, the presence of this complex prehistoric burial mound and the ring barrow known as the Forradh (and the smaller mounds it incorporates) all suggest that Ráith na Rí was a monument with a major ritual purpose.

If Teach Chormac is indeed a ringfort type settlement of the 1st millennium AD, then a ritual role was superseded or augmented by settlement activity, a sequence of events, which also seems to have occurred at the Rath of the Synods. The name 'Rath of the Synods' commemorates the ecclesiastical synods supposed to have been held at Tara by the early 8th century AD. The monument suffered considerable damage between 1899 and 1902, when some lunatic diggings were undertaken by the British Israelites in an attempt to find the Ark of the Covenant.

Though the monument has the appearance of a much disturbed multi-vallate ringfort, excavation by S P Ó Ríordáin 1952-1953, demonstrated that it had a complicated history. The first phase was funerary, and consisted of an oval ring ditch measuring 27.5 by 32m with a low ring barrow(about 17m in diameter) to the northwest(now just visible between the middle and outer ramparts of the later ringfort). This ring barrow contained five primary cremations. Some time later, the top of the mound was levelled and four cremations and one crouched unburnt burial were placed at its centre.

 No dating evidence was found for either stage of burial activity. The second phase consisted of a series of circular wall or palisade slots for timer-built structures varying in diameter from approximately 16m to 30m; at leat four separate building phases as well as part of a circle of free standing timber posts have been identified and such a multiplicity of circular wooden structure recalls Navan and Knockaulin. This phase was sealed by a layer of sterile yellow clay. A cluster of five unburnt burials and two cremations represented the third phase of activity.

The multi-vallate ringfort is the fourth and final phase and is dated to the period 300-500 AD. It consists of 4 ramparts each with external ditch and the inner enclosure was placed on the site of the phase one ring ditch, the ring barrow being incorporated between the outer two ramparts. The overall diameter is 83m. Traces of two rectangular timber houses were found in the interior and some finds(a lead seal, a glass inset for a ring or brooch and an iron barrel padlock) demonstrate contact with Roman Britain.