For important guidance on the use of this record, please click here.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

Courtyard House I at Carn Euny is situated in the north of the settlement, east of the eastern entrance of the fogou.

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 15415: IRON AGE TO ROMAN SETTLEMENT WITH INCORPORATED FOGOU AND ADJACENT POST-MEDIEVAL COTTAGE AT CARN EUNY

Other References/Statuses

• OS No. (OS Quarter-sheet and OS No.): SW42NW 19
• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 28920.10
• SMR No. (OS Quarter-sheet and SMR No.): SW42NW 15.9

Monument Type(s):

• COURTYARD HOUSE (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
• COURTYARD HOUSE (Romano British - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Full description

Courtyard House I at Carn Euny is situated in the north of the settlement, immediately east of the eastern entrance of the fogou (28920.14). It was excavated by Christie in 1969 (h2) when large paving stones and uprights were found to the east of House H (28920.08). The walling on the west and east sides were in poor condition and two uprights to the north marked the entrance to a paved passage approximately 4.9m in length up to 2.4m wide (b1). This courtyard house, which measures 12.2m north to south, was found to include late medieval and Iron Age structures. The wall on the east of the enclosure, enlarged in post-Iron Age times, was built over earlier Iron Age occupation and the entrance was remodelled several times (b2). The best preserved of the large houses on the site, it showed evidence for rooms contemporary with the main oval enclosure. The Iron Age enclosure wall interlocks with the expanded wall of Courtyard House II (28920.11), to the south, and must be contemporary with it. Features found beneath the paved area of the entrance passage include a main drain running down the passage into the west side of the courtyard house enclosure, two good post holes and a trench. In the trench, 0.9m wide cut into the rab to a depth of 0.48m and bisecting the entrance passage on the north-west, was found early Iron Age pottery including two stamp decorated sherds of La Tene type. The drain is joined by a second which then runs south to flow out through a stone built culvert in the south wall. Room 1 is divided into two halves by a small stone partition, not part of the original structure. Room 2 is described as House H when it was first discovered in the 1967 season's excavation (28920.08). Pre-enclosure pits and gullies containing sherds, were revealed in a cross section of Courtyard House I. To the south and outside Courtyard House II on the east, traces of occupation were found, gullies, paving and decorated pottery of early Iron Age type, overlain by a layer of cobbling which was possibly a roadway round the village during the courtyard house period. The bulk of finds were either earlier, pre-courtyard house occupation, or post-medieval and very little cordoned ware. Very late pottery was found in the southern half of the house (b3). The enclosure is clearly connected with the fogou and it is possible that a covered way led down the paved entrance passage from a roadway round the north and east of the site during Phase III. Charcoal found in a trench beneath the entrance has been given a radiocarbon date of 420 BC (b4). The monument was included in the Schedule on 28/9/1934 and the scheduling was updated 18/3/1996.

--------------------------------
Site history:
1: 1960. PITCHER, GH / OS
--------------------------------

Christie, PM, 1970, Carn Euny: Sixth Interim Report on the 1969 Season (Article in Journal). SCO490.

<2> Christie, PM, 1973, Excavation News, VOL 12, 58 (Article in Journal). SCO3069.

<3> Christie, PM, 1976, Carn Euny - Interim Report on the Final Seasons 1970 and 1972, VOL 15, 68-72 (Article in Journal). SCO3070.

<4> Christie, PM, 1983, Carn Euny Official Handbook (Bibliographic reference). SCO3066.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds

• FCO2995 - SHERD (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)

Associated Events

• ECO2232 - Carn Euny, Sancreed

Related records

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.