County: Louth Site name: RICHARDSTOWN 6
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 99E0200
Author: Matthew Seaver for Valerie J. Keeley Ltd.
Site type: Pit
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 700126m, N 790968m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.858505, -6.477943
This site was at the western boundary of the townland, a short distance west of a large burnt mound at Richardstown. It was in an area of low-lying ground and consisted of a subcircular spread of charcoal-stained clay containing occasional heat-cracked stones. This measured 0.62m east-west by 0.42m.
Excavation revealed a subcircular pit 0.1m deep at 20.465m OD. The northern side of the pit had straight edges, while the southern side sloped gradually. The pit was cut through a thin layer of brown, peaty soil that contained frequent wood fragments c. 0.02m thick. It also cut the underlying light yellow/brown, compact, sandy clay.
To the south-west of the pit was a fan-shaped cut filled with silty, brown clay with no inclusions. This opening connected to the pit and bottomed at 20.537m OD. No artefacts were recovered, and a sample is currently being processed for radiocarbon dating.
29–30 Duke Street, Athy, Co. Kildare
