2001:101 - SMITHSTOWN, Clare

This site was discovered in the course of monitoring topsoil-stripping during the Dromoland to Ballycasey Road Improvement Scheme Phase II. The site, AR33A, was subsequently excavated, as it was apparent that the construction of the road would destroy any underlying archaeology.

The removal of the topsoil exposed a small fulacht fiadh. The topsoil consisted of a brown loam containing occasional medium-sized stones and occasional flecks of charcoal. The fulacht spread exposed was roughly oval in shape. It consisted of a spread of compact grey clay containing 60–70% heat-shattered sandstone, frequent decayed stone and frequent flecks of charcoal. There were also occasional patches of redeposited natural through the spread. It measured 4.45m by 4.2m and its depth ranged from 0.05m to 0.25m (OD 9.227–8.977m). The spread covered a roughly rectangular trough cut into the natural boulder clay. Its fill consisted of compact grey marl containing 50% heat-shattered sandstone, 10% redeposited natural, 10% charcoal and 5% decayed stone. The charcoal was mainly concentrated along the sides and the base of the trough. This supports the idea that the trough was originally timber-lined, but preservation was poor. The trough measured 2.2m by 1.3m and reached a maximum depth of 0.35m and a minimum depth of 0.1m. The pit was cut into the side of a slope, but the base was level and did not follow the contour of the slope. Consequently the pit was deeper at its western than at its eastern end (OD 9.247–9.217m). The pit had gently sloped sides with the break of slope at 0.14m. The base of the trough was flat and there were no finds. Radiocarbon analysis of the site produced a late Bronze Age date of 820–770 BC.

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