County: Clare Site name: CAHIRACON (BGE 3/38/1)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E1151
Author: Tony Bartlett and Kate Taylor, Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Burnt spread
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 522186m, N 655542m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.645498, -9.149859
This site was examined as part of Bord Gáis Éireann’s Pipeline to the West. It lay in flattish bogland at the base of a gently sloping hill to the east. No water source was noted in the vicinity. A probable burnt spread, measuring c. 8m by 6m, was identified during monitoring. Investigation suggested a possible thickness for the spread of c. 0.15m. Unfortunately, owing to unauthorised pipe-trenching and general construction activity, the site was badly truncated. The remaining area of the site had maximum dimensions of 7m by 3.1m.
Two archaeological features remained: a small burnt spread and a pit that was slightly truncated by a post-medieval field drain. Oval in plan, with almost straight sides, the pit had an irregularly concave profile and a flat base. It measured 1.4m by 0.9m and was 0.4m deep. Three deposits were recorded within the pit. The primary deposit was a thin layer of oxidised silty sand, with a large amount of charcoal. This deposit was found solely beneath a layer of thin sandstone slabs at the base of the pit. The slabs (secondary deposit) were put together to form a subrectangular platform, possibly to facilitate a roasting function. In the north-western edge of the pit, four of the stones were layered on top of each other in a herringbone fashion to form a possible standing/sitting work platform. The tertiary fill of the pit was a black/brown silty loam, with around 40% heat-shattered sandstone and charcoal flecking throughout. This final deposit, which backfilled the pit, was typical of burnt-mound material. A small number of unburnt bone fragments were recovered from the base of pit; however, given the proximity of the drain, these may have been intrusive. It is thought that the feature may have functioned as a roasting pit.
The remaining burnt spread material was identified 1m from the pit. Amorphous in shape, the spread extended beyond the excavated area to the south-east; however, pipeline construction prevented further investigation in this direction. The maximum remaining dimensions were 1.9m by 1m, and the deposit was 0.03m thick. The spread material was grey/black silty clay with around 30% heat-shattered sandstone and a moderate occurrence of charcoal flecking throughout.
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