2001:986 - KILSHARVAN 1, Kilsharvan, Meath

The site, identified as an area of burnt soil, was exposed at chainage 20127, in the centre of the proposed motorway in the townland of Kilsharvan, during monitoring of topsoil-stripping carried out during groundworks associated with the construction of Contract 7 of the Northern Motorway Project.

A possible corn-drying kiln was exposed. It was keyhole-shaped in plan and measured 1.4m in length, 1m in width and extended to a depth of 0.35m (39.149m OD). It had been filled with a mid-brown sandy clay containing moderate inclusions of oxidised clay and charcoal. A radiocarbon determination of 3860 ± 60 BP (2490–2130 cal. BC) was obtained from the fill, which dates the kiln to the early Bronze Age. No further archaeological features or deposits were exposed. A body sherd of brown-glazed earthenware was recovered from the surface during the initial cleaning of the site.

Corn-drying kilns are generally situated some distance from settlement sites to guard against the spread of fire. They are generally keyhole-shaped in plan, wide and deep at one end, becoming more narrow towards the centre and wider and more shallow towards the other end. The kilns operated by lighting a fire at the wide and deep end, with the narrow central part acting as a flue to draw the heat up towards the wide and shallow end, where the corn would be laid on some sort of tray to dry. The kiln may also have served an industrial purpose such as metal-working or pottery manufacture, especially given its proximity to the Bronze Age settlement site at Kilsharvan 5 (No. 990, Excavations 2001, 01E0180), where a bifacial spear mould was recovered. However, no evidence was recovered to suggest either function.

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