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The Grianan of Aileach ((アイルランド語:Grianán Ailigh), sometimes anglicised Greenan Ely) is a group of historic structures atop a hill in County Donegal, Ireland. The main structure is a stone ringfort, thought to have been built by the Uí Néill in the sixth or seventh century CE;〔Bartlett, Thomas. ''A Military History of Ireland''. p.37〕 although there is evidence that the site had been in use before the fort was built. It has been identified as the seat of the Kingdom of Ailech and one of the royal sites of Gaelic Ireland. The wall is about thick and high. It has three terraces, which are linked by steps, and two long passages within it. Originally, there would have been buildings inside the ringfort. Just outside it are the remains of a well and a tumulus. By the 12th century, the Kingdom of Aileach had become embattled and lost a fair amount of territory to the invading Normans. According to Irish literature, the ringfort was mostly destroyed by Muirchertach Ua Briain, King of Munster, in 1101. Substantial restoration work was carried out in 1870. Today, the site is a National Monument and a tourist attraction. ==Description and Interpretation== The Grianán is located on the western edge of a small group of hills that lie between the upper reaches of Lough Swilly and Lough Foyle. Although the hill is comparatively not that high, the summit dominates the neighbouring counties of Londonderry, Donegal and Tyrone. Located at the edge of the Inishowen peninsula, it is 11.25 kilometres northwest of the ecclesiastical site of Derry. Both sites histories are closely linked. There is much legend and historical material related to the Grianán of Aileach. The Irish annals record its destruction in 1101. The main monument on the hill is a stone cashel, restored in the nineteenth century, but probably built in the eighth century AD. The summit's use as an area of settlement may go back much further. A tumulus at the Grianán may date back to Neolithic age and a covered well was found nearby the cashel in the early nineteenth century. George Petrie first surveyed the Grianán of Aileach in the 1830s. At this time the cashel was nothing more than a mere ruin. He gives a description of the hill and the monument. The eastern ascent of the hill is described as gradual but within thirty metres of the top, it terminated in a circular apex. An ancient road between two ledges of natural rock led to the summit. The cashel was surrounded by three concentric ramparts. Petrie suggests that, in the fashion of other monuments of this type such as Emania, the whole hill may have been enclosed by many other ramparts. There is no physical or historical evidence for this. The ramparts that remained were made of earth and stone and follow the natural form of the hill with an irregular circular pattern. They ascend above each other creating levelled terraces. The circular apex of the hill within the outermost enclosure contains about 22,000 m² (5.5 acres), within the second about 16,000 m² (4 acres) and within the third about 4,000 m² (1-acre). Currently, the innermost bank is very low, worn and heather-covered but traceable for almost its entire circuit. The other two banks are in a similar state but are untraceable for long sections. Between the inner most rampart and the cashel, the road dwindles in its width and curves slightly to the right. This "path" was strengthened on either side by walls. At the time of the survey only the foundation stones of these walls remained. Petrie's plan of the site shows a line of stones leading up to the entrance. These are now gone. The ruins of the cashel itself are described as being a circular wall enclosing an area of 23.6 metres (77 ft 6 in) in diameter. The wall had a height of 1.8 metres (6 ft) with a breadth varying from 4.6 metres (15 ft) to 3.5 metres (11 ft 6 in). While not perpendicular, it had an inclination inwards indicating its similarity to most other Irish stone forts. Petrie suggests that it was probably originally between twice and four times as high as it was when he surveyed it. 1.5 metres (5 ft) up on the interior side of the wall, the thickness was 0.76 metres (2 ft 6 in) due to the presence of terracing. The terrace is reached by flights of steps on either side of the entrance gateway. Fallen stones had covered any other existing stairs. Petrie suggests that there were originally three or four such terraces ascending to the top of the wall. On each side of the entranceway, there are "galleries" within the wall. Their precise purpose is not clear and they do not connect with the entrance. These two wall-passages, one on the south and another from the northeast run towards the gateway, but stop short. Near the north end of the south passage is a small recess in its west wall. At the south end of the north passage there is a seat-stone. The current hillfort, after the restoration of 1874–1878, is substantially different but much of the old structure remains intact. During the restoration, it was found that parts of the original drystone masonry had been preserved under the collapse. The workers marked, in tar, the undisturbed portions of the cashel and used the collapsed stone to build on this foundation. They supplemented these with other stones from the area to replace those 'removed by King Murdoch O'Brien in 1101'. The internal diameters of the cashel are 23.6 metres north to south and 23.2 metres east to west. The lintel-covered entrance is 4.65 metres long, 1.12 metres wide and 1.86 metres high. Before the restoration, the gateway's lintel was not in place. It was 1.3 metres (4 ft 3 in) wide and 1.2 metres (4 ft 2 in) high. It leads into the fort from the east. Slight recesses on either side of the entrance way have been filled in. They were probably to allow double leaves of an original doorway to fold flush against the wall. The interior rises in three terraces accessible by stairways which are previously mentioned. The outer wall is a dry-stone construction. On each side of the entranceway, there are "galleries" within the wall. Their precise purpose is not clear and they do not connect with the entrance. These two wall-passages, one on the south and another from the northeast run towards the gateway, but stop short. The south wall passage entrance is 45 centimetres wide, 60 centimetres high and 1.4 metres long. It turns through a right angle where it becomes 50 centimetres wide, 85 centimetres high and 20.4 metres long. Near the north end there is a recess on the west side 50 centimetres wide, 1 metre high and 75 centimetres deep. The northeast gallery entrance is 65 centimetres wide, 97 centimetres high and 1.55 metres long. It meets the main part of the passage in a T-junction. To the north, the passage is 70 centimetres wide, 1.3 metres high and 2.5 metres long. To the south, the passage is 60 centimetres wide, 1.4 metres high and 8.6 metres long. Near the north of end of the south passage is a small recess in its west wall. At the south end of the north passage there is a seat-stone. The interior of the cashel is fairly level but Petrie recorded the remains of a small oblong church measuring 5 metres (16 ft 6 in) by 4.3 metres (14 ft 3 in). The walls were 0.61 metres (2 ft) thick and not more than 0.61 metres (2 ft) high. The structure was constructed of mortar but nothing remains of it today. A drain runs through the cashel wall at ground level on the northwest side. It leads from a midden in the western side of the enclosure that was 1.7 metres (5 ft 5 in) in diameter and one foot deep. As mentioned above, there are many clues that the Grianán of Aileach is a multi-period site. Brian Lacy suggests that the earthen banks surrounding the fort probably represent the defences of a hillfort of the late Bronze Age or Iron Age. Between the two outer banks on the south side of the hill, is the formerly covered spring well which is dedicated to St. Patrick. Petrie describes the tumulus, between the second and third wall, as being a small mound surrounded by a circle of ten stones. These stones were laid horizontally and converged towards the centre. In Petrie's time, the mound had been excavated but nothing to explain its meaning was discovered. It was subsequently destroyed but its former position is marked by a heap of broken stones. During the excavation work of the 1870s, Bernard documents the discovery of many artefacts. Behind a niche in the doorway, a large stone (0.4 metres (16 in) wide) was found. It had a round hole in the centre, 7.6 centimetres (3 in) deep and 3.8 centimetres (1.5 in) in diameter. A rotten piece of wood was found in the hole. Bernard was unable to decipher its use suggesting only that it could have been a sundial. Bernard discovered many animal bones including sheep, cattle, goats and birds. He found stone items including 'sling-stones', 'warrior's clubs' and a 'sugar-loaf-shaped stone with a well-cut base, 25 centimetres (10 in) long, 38 centimetres (15 in) round base, 36 centimetres (14 in) round centre and 25 centimetres (10 in) round top. The most interesting stone object was 'a slab of sandstone, chequered into thirty-six squares'. Lacy believed it to be some kind of gaming board. Among the miscellaneous items found were a plough socket, an iron ring, some coins and a bead. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Grianan of Aileach」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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