County: Cork Site name: CONVA
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: Martin Doody, Discovery Programme
Site type: Enclosure
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 571956m, N 599856m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.149836, -8.409781
This complex was first identified by Mr Denis Power of the Cork Archaeological Survey following aerial reconnaissance in 1989 in the Blackwater Valley. Crop marks indicative of 3 enclosures and an alignment of large pits were recorded in the winter barley which had come under stress due to the very dry conditions of that year. The site was investigated as part of the Discovery Programme and involved Geophysical Prospection, Topographic Survey and trial excavation. The work took place during September and October 1992.
Sections were dug through the 3 main enclosures and through 4 of the large pits.
Enclosure 1: This was sub-circular in outline and measured 50m x 45m. The enclosing ditch was 3m wide and 2m deep.
Enclosure 2: This was circular in plan and was located off centre within Enclosure 1. The diameter was 20m. The surrounding ditch was 2m wide and 1 5m deep. Finds from the ditch included a variety of furnace bottoms and iron slag.
Enclosure 3: This was roughly rectangular in plan and was located to the west of Enclosure 1. It measured 17m x 15m. The perimeter was formed by two parallel ditches.
Pits: An alignment of large pits was evident on the aerial photograph. At least two rows of pits were obvious at right angles to each other and they may in fact form part of a rectangular enclosure. Four of the pits were excavated. They measured over 3m across and two of them had stake/post positions at the base.
C 14 dates place the complex in the Late Iron Age/Early Christian period.
Lower Hatch St., Dublin 2
