County: Limerick Site name: GREENMOUNT AND LOGAVINSHIRE
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 98E0252
Author: Edmond O'Donovan
Site type: Fulacht fia
Period/Dating: Bronze Age (2200 BC-801 BC)
ITM: E 553586m, N 648453m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.585383, -8.684909
Monitoring uncovered two previously unrecorded sites, both of which consisted of spreads of charcoal associated with shallow pits. The sites were ephemeral in nature and of limited archaeological significance. In addition two potential sites (COR Sites 22 and 23, highlighted during the Environmental Impact Survey) associated with the proposed development proved not to be archaeological. The landscape surrounding Greenmount consists of gently rolling open grassland. The soil is fertile and rich and is surrounded by a dense distribution of archaeological field monuments. The site lies on two glacial ridges orientated north-west/south-east. The ridges converge to the south forming a natural, U-shaped hollow.
Site A, Greenmount townland, was identified during the monitoring of topsoil-stripping, as a spread of charcoal in a hollow between the two ridges. The site initially appeared as a dense black staining immediately under the topsoil. A cutting measuring 4.2m north-south by 2.5m was opened on the spread. Four small extensions to the cutting were added to define the extent of the activity on the eastern, western and southern sides.
Site B, Logavinshire townland, was identified during monitoring as a spread of charcoal and fire-reddened clay immediately under the topsoil on the slope of the south-western ridge. A cutting measuring 3.5m north-south by 2.4m was opened. Two larger areas measuring 10m x 10m were then opened on the site's southern and eastern sides to establish whether the feature extended beyond the cutting. This proved not to be the case.
The excavation revealed an arc-shaped linear feature 2.95m long and 0.7m wide. The trench varied from 0.19m to 0.28m deep and was U-shaped in profile. It was filled with bands of compact, redeposited, burnt tan boulder clay and grey, charcoal-flecked clay. A dense oval deposit of charcoal measuring 0.26m east-west by 0.48m and 0.07m deep was present centrally in the feature.
A bronze ring was retrieved from the loose residual topsoil over the surface of the feature. The ring was oval and was between 26mm and 28mm wide. It was solidly cast, with a facetted section measuring 30–40mm in diameter. The ring's original function and date are uncertain; however, it may have formed part of a brooch (where the pin is missing).
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