County: Kerry Site name: DROMKEEN EAST
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: D. C. Twohig, Dept of Archaeology, University College, Cork
Site type: Fulacht Fiadh
Period/Dating: Bronze Age (2200 BC-801 BC)
ITM: E 483275m, N 630850m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.416687, -9.715946
This excavation was necessitated by a land reclamation project which would result in the destruction of the site. At the time of excavation the fulacht fiadh consisted of a horseshoe-shaped mound of burnt stone intermixed with much finely ground charcoal. The mound measured on average; length 23m, width 20m. The maximum height of the mound above the turf horizon on which it had been dumped was 1.2m.
Excavation showed that the cooking trough was set into the floor of a large pit which had been cut into the then field surface. This pit measured on average; length (?)m, width 4m. The floor of the pit was 1 .5m below the turf horizon which underlay the mound material. There was some evidence to suggest that this pit had been excavated in order to reach the water table. This would have enabled the cooking trough to fill with water. All that survived of the cooking trough were a number of very fragmentary posts, most of which were found in a near horizontal position. One post however had its pointed end driven vertically downwards to a depth of about 50cm into the floor of the pit. There was no evidence for any clearly defined hearth site. No finds or other ancillary structures were recovered during the excavation.
