County: Leitrim Site name: KILTYCARNEY
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 94E0097
Author: Hilary Opie
Site type: Fulacht fiadh
Period/Dating: Bronze Age (2200 BC-801 BC)
ITM: E 597951m, N 799012m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.940444, -8.031197
Archaeological excavations were carried out here between June 27 and July 12, 1994. The site was uncovered during topsoil stripping along the Drumsna-Jamestown by-pass scheme and was being archaeologically monitored at the time. Initially it appeared as a spread of burnt sandstone, charcoal and soil. There were no surface indications prior to clearance to suggest the existence of a fulacht fiadh.
Upon excavation a wood-lined, roughly rectangular, roughly flat bottomed trough cut into the subsoil was observed. This was 1.85m long x 1m wide and was 0.45m deep. It was covered by a layer of burnt sandstone, charcoal and soil which spread beyond the trough area. This would appear to represent later infilling of the site through the action of ploughing etc. Beneath this, and sealed by the overlying layer, was an undisturbed layer of pale grey silty sand with a high charcoal content. This became stonier towards the base with a higher proportion of sandstone being observed. This appeared to be washed clean, probably by natural percolation. Towards its western end the burnt sandstone and the pale sandy fill were separated by a lens of material very like peat or turf.
The wood lining could be traced all around the trough except for a small area in the north-east. This, and charcoal samples, are awaiting analysis. Animal bone was recovered adjacent to the trough along with a flint flake. The trough lay on low boggy ground near a stream and tended to fill automatically through natural seepage. A roughly circular, shallow pit lay directly to the north-east while the large amount of burnt sandstone present suggests the site was used on a number of occasions.
16 Ormond Sq., Dublin 7,. for Valerie Keeley Schmidt
