Report by Stephen Domican:
The Bective Abbey Project: Survey,
Excavation, and Results
It was a
great pleasure to have Geraldine Stout of the National Monuments Service
present some of the results of her research on Bective Abbey, located on the
river Boyne, County Meath. This focused on not only the Medieval Cistercian
abbey itself, but took a broader survey of the landscape: looking at not only
the social and economic activity of the abbey itself, but also the granges that
the religious order owned and that were worked by the order.
There was
a particular focus on the lower, lay order of monks who conducted the general
labour within the Abbey. These monks are believed to have paved the way for
future agricultural developments in Ireland, such as the implementation of crop
rotation systems, as well as having a lasting influence on the later
development of Medieval Manor houses.
Using
topographical and geophysical survey results, the decision was made to excavate
in three main locations. In the lay brothers range, excavations uncovered a pit
and hearth that are thought to have been the dining area for the lay monks, as
well uncovering a rich assemblage of ceramic, metal and bone artifacts.
Excavations
were also conducted in an area initially though to have been a Cistercian barn.
However, due to the discovery of masonry pads which are believed to have been
used to support a raised floor, this is now believed to have actually been used
as a granary; the discovery of ploughing tools also suggesting it may haved served
an additional role as a storage space for farming equipment.
Trenches
were also dug in the Cistercian garden; this was found to be enclosed by a bank
and ditch, the centre of which had several spade dug furrows. These furrows contained
not only charcoal but also other household waste, which is believed to have
been deposited in the furrows for composting. From this a rich assemblage of
food remains has been analysed, including many different types of meats and
seafood, such as Cod, Haddock, as well as shellfish and oysters. Analysis of
these organic remains shows that the monks had a highly varied diet, with a
rich variety of foods to choose from.
Economic
activity cannot be analysed in isolation, and what I really enjoyed was how
some of the most thorough environmental research ever conducted on Medieval
Ireland – in total looking at around 47,000 archaeological plant remains – was
combined with a broad analysis of both the Abbey and outer grange to deliver a
snapshot of what Cistercian Abbey life was like. It was surprising to learn
just how well off the monks would have been: enjoying a diet with a wide
variety of grains, meat and seafood, as well as how involved the Abbey was in
managing their landscape: both through the cultivation of a wide array of
crops, as well as the raising of domestic animals, such as rearing lambs.
There was
a real excitement from the audience, as many of them had been personally involved
in the project. Both myself and the UCD archaeological society would like to
wish Ms Stout all the best in her future endeavours, and would like to thank
her for taking the time to present her findings.
