1994:152 - MINKILL, Leitrim

The site was first discovered during soil stripping which was being monitored by an archaeologist during the pre-construction phase of the Drumsna-Jamestown by-pass and is located on the flood plain of the river Shannon, on its northern bank where it curves in a semi-circular loop between Drumsna and Jamestown. Approximately one mile south is the Doon of Drumsna, an Iron Age linear earthwork enclosing the peninsula formed by the loop of the river. The loop of the river offered numerous fording places and the Dún, or Doon, is commonly interpreted as being the frontier defence between two Celtic kingdoms.

An area of burnt stones and charcoal measuring approx. 4m x 4m was first noted and this area was extended to 8m x 7m for the purpose of excavation.

Initially it was thought that this spread of burnt material indicated the possible existence of a fulacht fiadh because a similar spread of material 44m west in Tully Td. had proved to be so when excavated (see Excavations 1994, No. 153).

The results from the Minkill site, however, were much less spectacular and no definite features such as a trough were found. The only finds from the site were some cattle teeth that were found in a spread of river clay which contained charcoal flecks, in the north-east quadrant of the cutting.

Bearing in mind the danger of identifying all occurrences of burnt stone debitage as fulachtí fiadh, as this type of material can result from various activities which have been practised at many times from the Mesolithic right through to the present, it is neverthless possible, due to the location of the site and the presence of other similar sites in the vicinity, that this represents a cooking place that was only used very few times.

The excavation lasted for two weeks.

Greystones, Co. Wicklow for V.J. Keeley, project director