County: Waterford Site name: N25 ROAD REALIGNMENT SCHEME, Kilmacthomas
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 99E0622
Author: Stuart Elder, Eachtra Archaeological Projects
Site type: Charcoal-making site, Burnt mound and Structure
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 639180m, N 606123m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.205490, -7.426765
Monitoring of the N25 Realignment Scheme from February to June 2000 followed a period of archaeological testing by Michael Tierney (see Excavations 2000, No. 994) along the route of the new roadway. Five previously unknown sites were discovered, all relating to prehistoric domestic and/or industrial activity. The following is a list of sites excavated under the monitoring licence, for which Dúchas The Heritage Service did not require separate licences.
Chainage 7330, Graigueshoneen townland
Topsoil-stripping revealed eleven small, irregularly shaped spreads and a large, subrectangular, clay-lined pit, over an area measuring 10m north–south by 10m. The smaller spreads were subsequently revealed to be non-archaeological features, but the larger pit, which contained many large stones, including a possible mortar stone, was used for producing charcoal.
The pit was 1.92m long (north–south), 1.1m wide and 0.2m deep. The three fills contained within it strongly suggest that this was a pit constructed for charcoal production. It was clay-lined, contained hearth-type debris and had a top fill to act as capping. Despite reddening of the stones, there was no reddening of the edges of the pit to suggest a high heat process. This lends weight to the theory of a smouldering fire to produce charcoal but may also indicate that the pit fills were secondary and represent the dumping of hearth scrape-out episodes.
Chainage 8900/525, Carrignanonshagh townland
The site was stripped by bulldozer and remained as a thin spread of burnt stone and charcoal-rich sediment covering an area 4.8m long (north–south) and 3.4m wide. After insertion of a narrow sondage from the northern extent, this was found to extend at least 4m further north. Burnt mound material was visible in the east-facing section for a length of 9.4m overall and had a maximum depth of 0.62m in three distinct layers. A single stake-hole at the northern end of the site was excavated, but this was the sole archaeological cut feature revealed.
Chainage 9500, Carrignanonshagh townland
Topsoil-stripping revealed several features within an area measuring 10m north-east/south-west by 10m north-west/south-east. The site eventually comprised a small circular pit feature containing three fills, as well as a post-hole, a single stake-hole and two possible truncated post-holes. The circular pit in the centre of the site produced a single sherd of possible prehistoric coarseware.
Chainage 9630, Carrignanonshagh townland
The site comprised an oval pit containing a single fill of charcoal-rich material and fire-cracked stone. To the immediate east of this was a line of three post-holes orientated north-north-east/south-south-west. They increased in size from south to north and were evenly spaced at 1.3–1.4m apart. The sizes ranged from 0.24m to 0.64m in diameter.
Chainage 10760, Scrahan townland
Topsoil-stripping revealed a small subcircular feature containing charcoal-rich sediment and fire-cracked stone, a single stake-hole and a shallow linear feature containing numerous burnt stones, which lay to the north of the first feature. The circular feature produced two sherds of possible prehistoric coarseware. The site area on this occasion measured 5m north–south by 5m.
Ballytrisnane, Old Parish, Co. Waterford
