The Western Stone Forts Project

The Western Stone Forts Project was initiated to study a distinctive group of large stone forts located along the western seaboard of Ireland. The majority of these forts are concentrated on the Aran Islands County Galway, in the Burren Co. Clare and on the Dingle and Iveragh peninsulas Co. Kerry. Excavations associated with the project were…

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Bone comb, early medieval, from Dun Aonghasa, find no. 48.

Creator: The Discovery Programme

Identifier: WSFP_V03_FIG_0048

Type: Image

Format: L.71.5mm; W.19mm; T.5mm

Incomplete; sideplates, teethplates, teeth and pegs of decorated, double-sided comb. One end of the comb is missing. Probably carved from antler. Sideplates. Two 'c'-sectioned side plates, with two remaining, broken, pegs in each. One peg joins with another in other side plate, joining two together. One end of sideplates is smoothed and polished. Both sideplates decorated with rectangles incised with diagonal lines. Pegs holding sideplates together were in place before decoration was carved. Teethplates: Two pieces and four fragments of teethplates. One has complete tooth, and on opposite side part of tooth, still attached. Complete tooth is 19mm from base to tip. Both pieces of teethplate have broken where perforated. These perforations, diameter 3.5mm-4mm, were for pegs to hold teethplates in place. Teethplates are 20mm wide by 3mm thick. Teeth are rectangular in section and taper from 3mm by 2mm to 1.5mm by 1mm. 43 teeth remaining, including two still attached to teethplate. L.71.5mm; W.19mm; T.5mm Pegs: Five remaining pegs, three of which are still in sideplates; measure 12mm -13mm long, and ca. 5mm in diameter. Taper slightly from one end to other, in some cases are slightly curved and vary in section from circular to oval.

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