2003:806 - FARRANASTACK, Kerry

During monitoring (Licence 02E1660) of ground disturbance associated with the Listowel Regional Water Supply Scheme (Kerry County Council), two areas of archaeological significance were encountered and subsequently excavated in Farranastack townland.

Area I: Bronze Age pits
Three sub-rectangular pits and a narrow curvilinear ditch were excavated in Area I. The three pits were similar in size, shape and in the fills they contained. All three were orientated approximately east-west and measured c. 1m in width, between 1.94m and 1.42m in length and between 0.25m and 0.35m in depth. The fills of each of the pits contained charcoal (oak, willow and hazel/alder) and substantial quantities of heat-reddened sandstone stones, some of which were heat-shattered. Charcoal from Pit 2 produced a conventional radiocarbon date of 2830 ± 40BP (Beta-180810). Calibrated, this date (1100BC – 900BC) indicates that the fulacht-type material was deposited in these pits during the Middle or Late Bronze Age. Three fulachta fiadh in Co. Cork – Ballynoe West, Killeens 1 and Drombeg – and one at Lack West, Co. Mayo (Brindley et al. 1989/90, 29) produced dates contemporaneous with the date from Farranastack. Two previously unrecorded fulachta fiadh were discovered by Eachtra Archaeological Projects c. 170m and 125m from the Farranastack pits. An arc-shaped ditch (3.6m long, 0.4m wide, 0.28m deep) truncated and bisected Pit 3. The northern terminal of this ditch was tightly packed with stones, elsewhere the fill comprised a stony silty loam. This ditch was neither an enclosing feature nor a drainage channel. Its function and its association with the three pits are unknown.

Area II: High Medieval metalworking pit
A single archaeological feature, a pit, was discovered and excavated in Area II, c. 80m east of Area I. This sub-oval pit (1.6m x 1.54m x 0.12m deep) was orientated north-south; its full extent was not exposed as the northern end ran under the baulk. The base of the pit was fire-scorched in several places. The pit fill comprised a loose sandy clay loam (c. 0.02m thick) that contained large quantities of charcoal (oak) and 4.17kg of slag. Three types of slag were identified: tap slag, furnace slag and amorphous slag. The discovery of tap slag is quite significant as this type of slag has rarely been found in Ireland. Tap slag provides evidence of iron smelting and indicates the use of smelting furnaces of the shaft type with provision for slag-tapping. A small number of carbonised cereals (oats, barley/wheat and a straw node) were also recovered from the pit fill. Charcoal from the fill produced a conventional radiocarbon date of 890 ±60BP (Beta-181588). This calibrated date (1020 AD – 1270 AD) indicates that the metalworking debris dates to the High Medieval period.

References
Brindley, A.L., Lanting, J.N. and Mook, W.G. 1989/90 Radiocarbon dates from Irish fulachta fiadh and other burnt mounds. The Journal of Irish Archaeology 5, 25–33.

3 Canal Place, Tralee, Co. Kerry