1998:018 - DRUMCALPIN, Cavan

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Cavan Site name: DRUMCALPIN

Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 98E0164

Author: Deirdre Murphy, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.

Site type: Fulacht fia

Period/Dating: Bronze Age (2200 BC-801 BC)

ITM: E 642538m, N 808281m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.021985, -7.350850

A fulacht fiadh was uncovered during road-stripping at Drumcalpin, Co. Cavan, in the course of road construction on the Cavan Bypass. It was badly disturbed by modern drainage ditches, field boundaries and pipe-trenches.

A deposit of heat-cracked sandstone in a friable, black, sandy clay extended for 11m north-south and 11.4m east-west. Below this a separate deposit of heat-cracked sandstone in a friable, brown, sandy clay, 0.2m deep, with frequent inclusions of wood charcoal, was removed. This came down onto the boulder clay.

A rectangular trough had been dug through the natural soil and had four post-holes, one at each corner, two of which still contained butt-trimmed posts. Impressions of planks that must have lined the trough were visible on the sides, which were lined with a sticky, grey clay. The trough was filled with heat-cracked stone and friable, brown clay and was between 0.33m and 0.19m deep. It measured 1.4m north-south by 2.05m east-west. There was no nearby watercourse.

No artefacts were recovered; two samples sent for radiocarbon dating produced dates of 2865±65 years BP (cal. BC 1154–932) and 2921±40 years BP.

 

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