1998:628 - TULLAHEDY, Tipperary

Three burnt mounds were found together in Tullahedy townland near the Nenagh-Limerick railway line, south-west of Nenagh town. Site A is c. 35m south of sites B and C, and the sites were originally separated by boggy marshland; now the Nenagh Bypass road runs between them. At the time of writing all three sites were still being excavated. Sites A and B were producing evidence of metalworking, perhaps from bog ore extraction/ processing.

Site A
The southern portion of Site A was destroyed when the railway line, to which it is adjacent, was built. The site now measures c. 18m east-west x 20m, and the burnt stone mound is c. 0.5–1m high and roughly circular in shape. Two hand-excavated test-trenches were placed across the mound material and bottomed down to natural. The test-trenches revealed homogeneous burnt stone material and peat accumulation at the north and north-west end of the site.

A number of clay-lined troughs, at least one hearth, areas of stone cobbling and clusters of stake-holes were found under the burnt stones. One of the troughs had a stone surround, and there was evidence of a possible spit in the clay lining in the form of three stake-holes. The troughs naturally filled with water and had been positioned nearest the boggy ground at the northern end of the site.

The south-east area of the site appears to have been used for smelting activity, where large quantities of waste slag, ash spreads and ore were found. A possible furnace pit with multiple stake-holes at one edge was found. Near this area was an animal cremation deposit within the burnt stone material. Mixed with the bones were over twenty finely crafted iron nails/fragments, much charcoal, burnt hazelnuts and apple seeds. At the time of writing, this area had still to be excavated fully, as had the entire south-west portion of the mound.

Finds included slag, burnt and unburned animal bones and teeth, two stone weights and flint, all from within the burnt stones. A stone bead, burnt flint and chert flakes were found in the old ground surface, sealed by the burnt stones. The stone bead closely resembled examples found on the late Neolithic ritual site of Tullahedy (Excavations 1997, 181; No. 627 above), half a mile to the west.

Site B
Site B lies c. 35m north of Site A. A portion of the north-west extremity was removed before excavation owing to drainage works, but the full extent of the site was accurately established. The site measures c. 22m north-south by c. 26m and is 1–1.5m high, giving a roughly circular shape. It was originally covered with dense briars and bushes, and a field boundary ran to the north. This had concealed the site before topsoil-stripping.

Sites B and C both lie on the edge of the 200ft contour, which traverses the field here. Thus the sites would originally have lain on the edge of the bog that extended westward as far as Carraigtogher townland. The upper burnt stone material at the south-west corner of the site was removed by machine using a grading bucket. A number of large field drains were found at the south-west extremity of the site.

Two hand-excavated test-trenches were put through the mound. Two clear phases of fulacht activity have been identified, separated by a distinct, grey silt layer. A number of clay-lined pits with associated cobbled areas were found cut into natural, beneath the primary fulacht material. A series of four post-holes, cut into the natural and up to 0.4m deep, was found near the mound centre.

A shallow ditch-like feature was found at the north-east edge of the mound running north-south; it in turn was dissected by a smaller ditch running north-east/south-west. These ditch features all respect the main field boundary at the north of the site. As yet there are no datable finds from the ditches, the primary fulacht phase or the grey layer. This grey layer appears to follow the contour of the land, oriented north-west/south-east, and is deepest at the southern end of the mound. The northern and southern ends of the mound have peat accumulation, and a cream-coloured shell layer was found at the northern end, sealed by the peat and burnt stones.

Associated with the secondary fulacht phase is a distinct portion of the site centre where the stone material is reddish, from possible ore deposits/ waste. Elsewhere the mound material is more heavily charcoal-flecked and blacker. The secondary phase covers the entire site area and was more extensive than the primary phase. There are occasional large stones sealed by the burnt stone material that may form hearths/ovens.

One distinct arrangement of large stones within this fulacht phase may form part of a stone structure. The stones together measure c. 2m long, and c. 0.58m deep; the largest stone is 0.67m long and 0.21m deep. As yet these stones are only partially exposed in section. Much burnt and unburned bone has been found in this secondary fulacht phase, as well as rubbing stones, hone stones, a worked bone fragment, slag and the upper portion of a rotary quern.

An arrangement of sandstones that surrounds the mound edges appears to be the final phase of use on the site. These stones may have been placed to delimit the mound in the landscape or as storage for later submersion in the troughs. The stones lie at the south, south-east and east edges of the mound, and finds associated with this final phase are large quantities of burnt bones, charcoal, large quantities of metal waste/fragments, nails and a ring-headed bronze pin (ring missing).

At the time of writing, a 7m north-south x 26m strip of the southern end of the mound is being fully excavated, as this portion will be buried by the road embankment. A 5.2m north-south portion of the northern end of the mound was completely excavated to allow a road drain to be inserted here. This leaves c. 10m north-south by c. 26m by 1–1.5m deep of the mound surviving in situ outside the line of the road.

Approximately 9.5m to the north-west of Site B a ditch feature has been found in the section face of the road drain. The ditch is c. 4.6m wide, 1m deep and roughly U-shaped in section. It continues southward from the CPO line for c. 10.2m. The fill appears to consist of a charcoal-flecked clay with animal bones. This ditch cuts a sand bank running east-west and is exposed in the drain face. This sand bank is c. 14.2m long and 1.1m deep. Both the ditch and the sand bank follow the contour of the land and continue northward outside the CPO line of the bypass. This ditch is outside the road embankment and will thus survive in situ.

Site C
Site B, the larger burnt mound, was connected via a cobbled stone surface, 3m long, to an adjoining, smaller burnt mound, Site C, to the east. As at Site B, two phases of fulacht use have been identified at this site, separated by the grey silt layer.

The primary phase appears to consist of a general cobbled stone spread extending 18m east-west x 20m. The site terminated at the main field boundary to the north. At the southern end the cobbling was more rough and scattered. There was peat encroachment in this area from the adjoining bog. The same peat encroachment occurred on Site A. The peat was subsequently covered by a distinct sand bank running approximately north-west/south-east. The rest of the site was covered by the grey silt layer identical to that on Site B.

Near the centre of this stone spread is a raised platform of ground where more compacted layers of cobbles were laid. Here was a rectangular arrangement of four deep post-holes (1.2m x 2m), with supporting smaller stake-holes. Adjoining this structure at the south-east corner was a circular arrangement of shallow, thin stake-holes, with a number of internal stakes inside. Two possible troughs/pits lay to the south-east and east of this structure, with associated cobble paths. A further trough lay at the juncture of Sites B and C; this trough had evidence of much reuse, and a polished tusk came from the primary peat fill. All the troughs filled naturally with water as there are springs everywhere.

The rectangular structure was subsequently covered with stones and clay, and quantities of charcoal at the inner edges may suggest that it was wood-lined. Most of the rectangular structure and portions of the cobbles were subsequently covered by the secondary fulacht phase, which measured 12m x 12.5m and 0.3m deep. This was a homogeneous black burnt stone spread, roughly horseshoe-shaped. Finds from this final phase included burnt bones and some slag.

A small portion of the northern extremity of the site will survive outside the road embankment.

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