Archaeology excavations continue at the site of a large ring fort in Rath East, County Wicklow.
The director of the dig taking place at the Rathgall Ringfort is Barry Raftery an archaeologist and lecturer at the Department of Archaeology at University College Dublin (UCD). The fort is located on a hill at the edge of the Slaney Valley, three miles east of Tullow in County Carlow. It is surrounded by the Wicklow mountains to the northwest and the Blackstairs to the south.
The site consists of three concentric stone ramparts dating to the Bronze Age, with a fourth inner stone circle dating to, or updated in, the Medieval period. The hillfort encompasses a total area of 7.5 hectares (18 acres), of which its inner circle diameter measures 15 metres.
The excavation conducted by Barry Raftery and Nuala Sproule of UCD began on 30 June 1969 and is expected to continue for several years.
Barry Raftery reveals that to date they have unearthed evidence for activity dating to the early and late Bronze Age, early Iron Age, and Medieval period but,
The late Bronze Age phase is the most interesting.
Finds from this period show there was intensive metalworking at the site. Objects unearthed include crucibles, clay mould fragments and waste bronze used to cast large quantities of bronze tools and weapons.
As current excavations are in the innermost ring, Barry Raftery hopes excavations on other sections of the fort will yield further knowledge about Ireland in the late Bronze Age, Iron Age, and the Medieval period.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 24 September 1970.
