2007:1681 - GREENHILLS (1), Tipperary

Phase 2 excavations along 17.1km (Contact 1) of the 35km N7 Castletown to Nenagh (Derrinsallagh to Ballintotty) national road scheme were commissioned by Laois County Council and the National Roads Authority. Contract 1 comprises the western half of the scheme and runs from Clashnevin to Castleroan, passing along the Tipperary North and Offaly county border regions.

A burnt mound/fulacht fiadh was located on the side of a gravel ridge. The ground level to the south-west was lower and was covered by peat. Wood, including hazel and birch bark, was visible in the peat and two cuttings were opened in the peat to investigate whether the wood was archaeological or not. Specialist examination determined that the wood was natural and was not of archaeological significance.

The burnt mound/fulacht fiadh comprised four layers of burnt-mound material and ten associated pits, some of which were connected to each other by means of a narrow channel. Modern features included a field ditch and a field wall.

The first layer of burnt-mound material comprised a dark-brown stony silt with frequent angular stones. The layer overlay eight pits. Two pairs of pits were connected to one another by means of a narrow channel and it is likely that the channel was used to feed water from one pit to the other. There was a flat stone lying next to one of the channels which could have been used to block or cut off the water supply when necessary.

The second layer of burnt-mound material comprised a firm, dark-brownish-black stony silt with occasional angular and sub-angular pebbles. There was one possible trough immediately to the north of Layer 2. It was irregular in plan and measured 1.7m long, 1.7m wide and 0.35m deep. The fill was similar to the burnt-mound material.

The third layer comprised loose brown sandy stony silt with moderate heat-shattered stones and occasional charcoal flecks, visible in section. It was not associated with any pits or potential troughs.

The final layer of burnt-mound material comprised discarded heat-cracked stones, truncated at the west by a modern stone wall. It covered a subcircular pit (1.22m long, 1.2m wide and 0.29m deep), which may have been used as a trough.