199:. It was 15 metres (50 feet) in total length and was constructed in a 'C' shape with two distinct chambers. A linear ditch was located immediately adjacent to the souterrain and was connected to the southwest chamber by a tunnel. This tunnel sloped gently downwards towards the chamber and its edges were iron-panned, indicating that water had run through it for a significant amount of time. This indicates the southwest chamber was used as some kind of water collection and storage system. The soil into which the souterrain was dug was soft sand that would have been impossible to maintain without a lining; the presence of stake holes along the edge of the northeast chamber and the lack of stones means that the walls would have been wood-lined. Radiocarbon dating suggests occupation between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD.
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332:. The distribution of souterrains is very uneven in Ireland, with the greatest concentrations occurring in north Louth, north Antrim, south Galway, and west Cork and Kerry. Lesser numbers are found in counties Meath, Westmeath, Mayo, north Donegal, and Waterford. Other counties, such as Limerick, Carlow, and Wexford, are almost completely lacking in examples.
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Souterrains are underground galleries and, in their early stages, were always associated with a settlement. The galleries were dug out and then lined with stone slabs or wood before being reburied. In cases where they were cut into rock this was not always necessary. They do not appear to have been
292:(a grinding stone), a bone comb, a copper-alloy stick pin, three bone needles and the greater part of a tub-shaped pottery vessel in ‘Souterrain ware.’ Based on the finds, the excavator concluded the souterrain had been closed up in the 12th century.
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for 'cave') is applied to souterrain structures. The design of underground structures has been shown to differ among regions; for example, in western
Cornwall the design and function of the fogou appears to correlate with a larder use.
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The most comprehensive study of Irish souterrains is M. Clinton's 2001 work, containing chapters on distribution, associated settlements, function, finds, chronology and 13 appendices on various structural aspects of souterrains.
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Souterrains often are referred to in
Ireland simply as ‘caves.’ A. T. Lucas, a folklorist and director of the National Museum of Ireland in the 1960s, published a series of articles on the references to souterrains in the early
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or other finds were made inside the structure and the roof may have been only partially covered with stones, a timber roof being present on part of it. It was suggested that the souterrain could have been used as a
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A full report on the excavation of a three-level souterrain at
Farrandreg, County Louth, in 1998 gives references for the 14 souterrains previously excavated in this souterrain-rich county. Finds included a rotary
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used for burial or ritual purposes and it has been suggested that they were food stores or hiding places during times of strife, although some of them would have had very obvious entrances.
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stones dating to around the 6th century have been reused as roofing lintels or door posts, most notably at the widened natural limestone fissure at the ‘Cave of the Cats’ in
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Panoramic view of a souterrain contemporary with a ringfort dating to around 700 AD, built within a much earlier barrow cemetery, in County Armagh, Northern
Ireland
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and as such are thought to be mainly contemporary with them, making them somewhat later in date than in other countries. This date is reinforced by many examples where
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An article by Warner on the archaeology of souterrains, although published 45 years ago, still is possibly the best general overview of the subject.
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397:, January 1–3, Council for British Archaeology, St. Hugh's College (University of Oxford), 1966, 130 pages
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An example of a wood-lined Iron Age souterrain with a possible water tank was excavated in 2016 at
Brechin Farm,
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32:
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Rural
Settlement in Roman Britain: Papers Given at a C.B.A. Conference Held at St. Hugh's College, Oxford
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Coleman, R. & Hunter, F. (2002). The excavation of a souterrain at
Shanzie Farm, Alyth, Perthshire.
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275:, one of the many souterrains discovered during a road-building project in Ireland, may be found in
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Murphy, D. (1998). Archaeological excavation of a souterrain at
Farrandreg, Dundalk, County Louth,
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A short summary account of souterrains in
Ireland appeared in the quarterly magazine
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252:, situated near the seacoast. Another example has been excavated in Perthshire near
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433:"The Cracknie Souterrain in Scotland's Borgie Forest., mapped as a 3D point cloud"
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to a type of underground structure associated mainly with the
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In Scotland some souterrains may be connected with the same people who built
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452:"An Iron Age settlement and souterrain at Dubton Farm East, Brechin, Angus"
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in general. In languages other than English, it is sometimes used to mean "
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In Ireland, souterrains often are found inside or in close proximity to a
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A well-illustrated account of a souterrain excavated at Newtownbalregan,
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Warner, R.B. (1979). The Irish souterrains and their background. In
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Lucas, A. T. (1971–1973). Souterrains: The Literary Evidence,
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Underground structure associated mainly with the Atlantic Iron Age
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These structures appear to have been brought northwards from
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in County Waterford are the only souterrains to be an Irish
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or barn and it was associated with an abandoned settlement.
145:), in which it means "underground passageway" or refers to
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An example of a partially explored souterrain in northern
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Subterranean Britain: aspects of underground archaeology,
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Bailey, D. & Roycroft, N. (2003). Souterrain City.
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O'Sullivan, M. & Downey, L. (2004). Souterrains.
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Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
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An example of an excavated souterrain is the site at
478:"The souterrain at Rosal, Strath Naver, Sutherland"
570:County Louth Archaeological and Historical Journal
364: – Type of earth shelter with ancient origins
88:during the late Iron Age. Regional names include
657:, approximately two thousand years old, in the
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73:, meaning "under ground") is a name given by
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407:Prehistoric Communities of the British Isles
382:Antiquity: A Quarterly Review of Archaeology
358: – A type of tunnel found across Europe
309:, discovered in County Louth in 1960, and
532:Tayside and Fife Archaeological Journal
515:Hogan, C. M. (2007). Castle Bloody, In
459:Tayside and Fife Archaeological Journal
409:, 1971, Greenwood Press, 274 pages
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169:Plan and sections of an earth-house at
104:has been used as a distinct term from
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519:, (Ed.) Burnham, A. 2007 Nov 6
476:Corcoran, John (30 November 1969).
623:100-144, (Ed) H. Crawford. London.
161:Construction and suggested purpose
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683:Types of monuments and memorials
153:", especially in warehouses, or
422:. C.B.A. Research Report 9
420:Souterrains in the Sea Province
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642:, 34–36, (Winter 2004).
610:, p. 33. Wordwell, Bray.
380:Crawford, O. G. S. (1959).
27:For the French film titled
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608:The Souterrains of Ireland
450:Ginnever, Matthew (2017).
437:Forestry and Land Scotland
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578: (2), 261–280.
384:. Antiquity Publications.
219:. In this excavation, no
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693:Subterranea (geography)
296:Other Irish souterrains
33:Underground (2020 film)
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678:Archaeology in Europe
655:The Raitts souterrain
517:The Megalithic Portal
307:Donaghmore Souterrain
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112:the regional name of
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606:Clinton, M. (2001).
311:Drumlohan Souterrain
197:Headland Archaeology
634:Archaeology Ireland
551:Archaeology Ireland
418:Thomas, C. (1972).
393:Thomas, C. (1965).
344:Archaeology Ireland
279:Winter 2003 issue.
277:Archaeology Ireland
108:meaning 'cave'. In
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100:houses. The term
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688:House types
592:39–41
488:: 114–118.
290:quern-stone
213:Strathnaver
147:subterranea
18:Souterrains
672:Categories
589:Bealoideas
369:References
330:Rathcrogan
283:Farrandreg
217:Sutherland
143:souterrain
131:souterrain
102:souterrain
66:Souterrain
29:Souterrain
502:2056-743X
362:Pit-house
346:in 2004.
242:Shapinsay
221:artefacts
171:Kildrummy
129:The name
125:Etymology
659:Badenoch
356:Erdstall
350:See also
322:ringfort
238:Scotland
182:Examples
151:basement
110:Cornwall
79:Iron Age
51:Hebrides
465:: 1-12.
439:. 2022.
244:in the
187:Brechin
118:Cornish
98:Pictish
49:in the
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261:brochs
94:fogous
31:, see
455:(PDF)
326:ogham
254:Alyth
240:, on
209:Rosal
203:Rosal
193:Angus
114:fogou
106:fogou
47:Canna
498:ISSN
226:byre
96:and
86:Gaul
490:doi
486:100
248:is
195:by
141:or
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