ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the evidence from the excavations for the economy and industry of the site. Two of the important discoveries were the medieval enclosure and a 9th-century wooden bridge spanning the Shannon. The locations of these two features were unknown and are critical in defining the extent of the monastery in the centuries and highlighting its strategic location on major land and water routes. Silver, copper, gold, semiprecious stones such as amber, lignite and E-ware pottery found at Clonmacnoise were all brought to the site. Geophysical prospection carried out in most of the fields surrounding the site in the mid-1990s indicated that 'settlement at Clonmacnoise was extensive and in some places intensive' and that the 'strength of the evidence suggests a major concentration of population'. Some major excavations have been undertaken at the medieval monastery of Clonmacnoise. While summary accounts have been published and some post-excavation work carried out, much remains to be analysed.
