1998:588 - BENEDIN, Tipperary

This site was uncovered during the monitoring of topsoil-stripping to the immediate north of Nenagh Bypass, in an area of higher ground that was to be used as fill elsewhere along the road.  An area of just under 38,000m2 was monitored. The site is bounded along the north, east and west by pastureland and to the south by the N7 Bypass. Several pits had already been excavated along the road corridor in the immediate area (see No. 589 Excavations 1998), and it is likely that these also form part of the Bronze Age activity recently uncovered here.

Along the western half of the site twelve pits were excavated cutting into the natural subsoil and bedrock. These pits were mostly positioned some distance away from each other, although one cut through an earlier pit and several had small postholes/stake-holes cutting through their base. They varied in size from 0.42m x 0.3m x 0.15m to 0.1m x 1.4m x 0.6m. They were generally filled with black, greasy clay and burnt, red clay–in some cases the surrounding subsoil had also been fired. Charred timber, a few pieces of burnt bone, hazelnut shells and some metal slag were recovered, it is likely that the finds form an integral part of the Bronze Age activity to the east of the site.

Along the eastern and higher end of the site an area of 16m x 7m was uncovered, containing numerous postholes, pits and stake-holes. Upon excavation one circular setting of postholes, with an internal diameter of 3.8m, was identified, probably forming a hut circle. A floor area of beaten clay lay within these postholes. Numerous stake-holes and small pits, some of which were filled with charcoal-rich soil and burnt, red clay, were revealed both in and around the possible hut structure. Only a few finds were recovered: pottery, chert scrapers, burnt bone and slag, and these indicate a Bronze Age date for the site.

Windsor House, 11 Fairview Strand, Fairview, Dublin 3