2000:0224 - GRANGE/KILMAHUDDRICK/NANGOR (Grange Castle International Business Park), Clondalkin, Dublin

Monitoring of topsoil-stripping commenced in early September 2000. In Nangor townland, in the northern part of Field 111, the remains of a small fulacht fiadh were revealed. This consisted of a small pit or trough, a spread of heat-cracked stone and a linear feature to the south-west of the trough.

The pit/trough consisted of a subcircular cut into natural, 0.56m by 1.25m. The cut was steep-sided, leading to a flat base. It was filled with a mix of silt and compact, stony clays.

A spread of heat-shattered sandstone was located some 0.9m to the west of the trough. This spread consisted of a moderately compact, dark grey, sandy clay with frequent inclusions of heat-shattered sandstone fragments, pieces of burnt clay and charcoal. This spread measured 1.92m north–south x 1.18m with a maximum depth of 0.05m.

Approximately 6m to the west of the spread a linear gully feature was revealed. This gully consisted of a cut into natural boulder clay measuring 2.57m north–south x 0.28–0.54m. This had a depth of 0.16m with sharply sloping sides and a flat base. The cut was filled with a moderately compact, mid-brown clay containing frequent pieces of oxidised clay and occasional flecks of charcoal. Infrequent fragments of burnt bone were noted in the fill. Some 4m to the south of the heat-shattered sandstone spread, a small linear gully feature was excavated. This measured c. 1m north-east/south-west x 0.12m with a depth of 0.14m. The fill of this comprised a mid-brown, sandy clay with frequent charcoal flecking. No archaeological objects were recovered.

To the south of the fulacht fiadh, a backfilled field boundary was revealed by topsoil-stripping. The alignment of this boundary possibly corresponds with a similar ditch encountered in Field 113 (see Excavations 2000, No. 223).

Topsoil-stripping is set to continue in 2001.

2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin