2000:0993 - TREACY’S HILL, Graigueshoneen, Waterford

During monitoring of topsoil-stripping in the path of the N25 Kilmacthomas realignment late in 1999, archaeological remains were uncovered atop the north-east spur of Treacy’s Hill in the townland of Graigueshoneen at an elevation of c. 210m OD, overlooking a former crossing-point on the River Mahon to the east. Topsoil across the entire summit of the hill, around the area of archaeological interest, was further cleared by monitored machine, revealing evidence for iron-working and an array of stake- and post-holes, with no evidence of any surrounding enclosure. Excavation commenced in January 2000.

Widespread furrow scoring in the subsoil and the moderate frequency of now-removed field boundaries (many visible on the first and second edition OS maps) testify to the modern, post-medieval and possibly medieval cultivation of this comparatively well-drained land. Evidence for fairly extensive colluvial erosion and the truncation of archaeological features, aggravated by such ploughing, confirms this observation. Not surprisingly, widespread evidence for the former presence of moderately dense vegetation atop the central area of archaeological interest pre-dated evidence of cultivation but also post-dated the main archaeological features.

An area c. 30m x 35m was excavated in the centre of the hill, with smaller satellite areas of archaeological potential also investigated. Within the central area, excavation focused on several features related to iron production: a double-flued bowl furnace cut into the fill of an earlier linear ditch, a large (2.2m x 1.4m x 0.48m) bowl furnace, used in iron and perhaps charcoal production, and a formerly water-filled (quenching?) pit. Immediately to the west, north and east of these features, excavation was undertaken of a number of post- and stake-holes and several pits. The large number of post- and stake-holes has complicated an assessment of their spatial arrangement (the picking out of alignments, comparison of dimensions and fills etc.) and thus their interpretation, but they appear to represent several contemporary or chronological phases of subrectangular structures, with some associated fencing. While a few post-holes and most of the stake-holes were dug or driven to a fair depth, most of the driven post-holes were remarkably shallow. Even accounting for subsequent truncation, this seems to indicate that buildings did not require earthfast, load-bearing posts for structural integrity.

Roughly 10m to the south of the iron production evidence, a large, deep, drystone-lined pit, partially backfilled with furnace waste, was excavated. This was surrounded by several possible post- and stake-holes of uncertain purpose. Evidence for moderately extensive vegetation was scattered across these features, stratigraphically above them and probably representing scattered small trees and scrub. As yet incomplete environmental post-excavation analysis should provide more details concerning such landscape description.

The presence of Leinster cooking ware potsherds in the stone-lined pit, in one of the smaller northern pits and in several post- and stake-holes, indicates a tentative mid-13th-century date. 14C samples taken from several features will help to confirm this. The technological level of the iron production activities on Treacy’s Hill is vague, and they could span from the Iron Age right up to the late 16th century (or even later, if we assume that smaller-scale, localised production maintained conservative artisan traditions). The exception to this is the double-flued form of the main furnace, which has its closest morphological analogies in medieval pottery kilns at Downpatrick (Pollock and Waterman 1963), Carrickfergus (Simpson et al. 1979) and Carrowreagh, Co. Wexford (see Excavations 2000, No. 1047). The small amount of physically homogeneous slag is undergoing laboratory analysis with the aim of addressing a number of issues, including the technological nature of the iron-working conducted on Treacy’s Hill (i.e. did it include bloom smelting, as we suspect, or just forging/smithing?). The distinction of the double-flued form as a metal-production furnace, and its parallels in other medieval technological production, could have interesting implications for the social organisation of local medieval iron production, as it may indicate that the work was being undertaken by people quite familiar with other technologies such as pottery production yet without particularly innovative techniques specific to making iron.

References
Pollock, A.J. and Waterman, D.M. 1963 A medieval pottery kiln in Downpatrick. Ulster Journal of Archaeology 26, 79–104.
Simpson, M.L. Bryan, P.S. Delaney, T.G. and Dickson, A. 1979 An early thirteenth-century double-flued pottery kiln at Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim: an interim report. Medieval Ceramics 3, 41–51.

Ballytrisnane, Old Parish, Co. Waterford