County: Wicklow Site name: KILNACARRIG
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 93E0001
Author: Alan Hayden, Archaeological Projects Ltd.
Site type: Fulacht Fiadh and Habitation site
Period/Dating: Bronze Age (2200 BC-801 BC)
ITM: E 729089m, N 711220m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.135857, -6.070713
Archaeological assessment was undertaken in December 1991 by M. Gowen and C. Walsh (Excavations 1991, 47–8) and revealed the presence of three spreads of burnt mound material and two areas where shallow hollows containing Bronze Age pottery and flints occurred.
Five areas (totalling over 1,100 sq. m) were excavated between 6th and 14th January, 1993. The work was funded by Wicklow Co. Council.
Site 1: Measured 15m x 24.5m. Between the time of the assessment and the excavation a new road was built across the site and a line of ESB poles were erected. These disturbed part of the burnt mound that had been shown to exist in this area. A sub-circular clay-lined trough 1.9m in diameter and 0.9m in depth filled with burnt stones and charcoal was uncovered at the centre of a large ploughed-out spread of burnt mound material. A few stakeholes not conforming to a recognisable plan occurred in the vicinity of the trough. No trace of a hearth was uncovered. It probably lay in the area disturbed by the new road.
C14 samples from charcoal in the clay lining of the pit have been submitted to Gronigen and a date of 1616+50 BC has been returned.
Site 2: A hollow containing Bronze Age pottery was noted in this area during testing. Two trenches measuring 13.5m x 12.5m and 1.5m x 12.5m were excavated. Two sets of cultivation furrows running at right angles to each other were uncovered. These consisted of gullies 0.2m–1m in width and up to 0.3m in depth, set 2m–2.5m apart. They were filled with grey silt. The only finds recovered consisted of flint waste flakes. The hollow containing Bronze Age pottery uncovered during testing proved to be part of one of the cultivation furrows and suggests they all are of similar date.
Site 3: A pit containing a large number of waste flint flakes was noted in the area during testing. An area measuring 17m x 20m was excavated. The poorly preserved remains of further cultivation furrows occurred in one corner of the trench. A few flakes of flint were the only finds recovered.
Site 4: A spread of burnt mound material was noted here during testing. Two trenches measuring 9.5m x 9.8m and 1.5m x 9m were excavated. A 1.2m wide and .3m deep gulley filled with charcoal and fire cracked stones occurred within the trench. It appears to have been too shallow to have been another trough.
Site 5: A spread of burnt mound material was also noted here during testing. An area measuring 19.5m x 6.5m was excavated. Apart from isolated patches of burnt material in the topsoil, no features occurred.
Monitoring of all topsoil removal will be undertaken when the proposed sewage farm is being built.
15 St. Brigid's Road Upper, Drumcondra, Dublin 9
