County: Tipperary Site name: CURRAGHATOOR
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: Martin G. Doody, Dept. of Archaeology, University College Cork
Site type: Habitation site
Period/Dating: Bronze Age (2200 BC-801 BC)
ITM: E 600050m, N 610853m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.249401, -7.999264
The initial work at Curraghatoor was carried out during the construction of the Cork/Dublin natural gas pipeline in 1982. The remains of three circular huts were uncovered, one of which produced a radiocarbon date of around 1020 CAL. BC (Cleary, R.M., Hurley, M.F. and Twohig, E. (eds), The Archaeology of the Cork/Dublin Natural Gas Pipeline 1981-2 (Cork 1987)Because of the restricted nature of the excavation at that time, it was decided to carry out further excavation at the site. This took place during a four-week period in September 1987. The work revealed the remains of two further huts and raised the possibility that the settlement was enclosed by a ditch.
One of the huts was of post/stake construction and was circular in plan. Although excavation is incomplete the estimated diameter is 4m. There may be an internal hearth. Part of the area of a second hut was exposed. It differed from the post/stake-built structure in that both a slot trench foundation and timber uprights or stakes were used in the construction. No internal hearth was found; however, a complex of stakes and postholes close to the structure may indicate the presence of an external hearth.
A section of ditch up to 1m deep was exposed close to the hut complex. Its relationship to the settlement has yet to be clarified by further excavation.
Finds include coarse pottery, struck chert and two possible hammerstones. There were also charred remains of emmer and probably spelt wheat. It is hoped to continue work at Curraghatoor in 1988.
