County: Limerick Site name: HERMITAGE
Sites and Monuments Record No.: RMP 1:1 Licence number: 01E0319 ext.
Author: Tracy Collins, Ægis Archaeology Ltd.
Site type: Pit, Burial, Hut site, Kiln and Fulacht fia
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 565258m, N 661642m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.704793, -8.514073
This site was originally test-trenched by Sarah McCutcheon (see No. 762, Excavations 2001) as the way-leave for the Castleconnell Rising Main was cutting through the zone of archaeological potential for RMP 1:1, a potential fording-point of the River Shannon just downstream from Castleconnell village. The trenching revealed the presence of several possible archaeological features, which Ægis was contracted by the local authority to excavate.
The excavation covered an area of about 4,400 square metres. It was divided into four areas, A–D.
Area A revealed three features. These included a shallow circular pit and a circular cremation pit, in the centre of which was a large stone axe, set blade-downwards. This axe had once rested against a post that had been driven into the base of the pit prior to the deposition of the cremation. It is reasonable to suggest that this post projected out of the ground above the cremation pit, and possibly served as a grave-marker. The third feature was an area of burning and heat-reddened boulder clay, which might be the site of the cremation pyre.
There were two distinct areas of activity in Area B. One had a large concentration of stake- and post-holes, with up to three small subcircular huts tentatively identified in the first zone, and a stone axe. Some of the features had been disturbed by tree root activity, so their identification was somewhat hampered. The second area was characterised by small stake-holes and slot-trenches. One of the slot-trenches was interpreted as a horseshoe-shaped hut, which was associated with worked flint and chert (although no chipping floors were identified), and had a stone axe, tentatively identified as an adze type, deposited within the slot-trench. This feature was truncated by the baulk, so it was not fully revealed. To the south-west of this hut a large cremation pit was excavated, containing one individual and no grave-goods. To the east a badly truncated keyhole-shaped drying kiln was excavated, which is presumed to be later in date than the other features.
Area C was the largest in the excavation and included most of the estate features excavated, such as field boundaries, sumps and furrows. There were some pits and the remnants of burnt spreads, but none yielded dating evidence or artefacts. The way-leave partially impacted on a fulacht fiadh, from which samples for dating were taken. This fulacht fiadh seemed to be associated with several shallow subcircular pits, which were filled with heat-shattered stone and may have been roasting pits.
Area D contained several pit features, which did not contain any datable material, under a burnt spread which appeared to be of modern origin and so was not itself suitable for dating purposes.
The way-leave and spoil-heaps were also inspected for artefacts. Several axe fragments were retrieved in this exercise, as well as most of the worked chert and flint (71 fragments of flint and 116 of chert were recovered). Artefact analysis and dating are in progress.
16 Avondale Court, Corbally, Limerick
