County: Cork Site name: RATHCORMAC
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 44:72 Licence number: 01E0208 ext.
Author: Avril Purcell, Sheila Lane & Associates
Site type: Enclosure
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 580676m, N 591700m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.076900, -8.281900
Testing was carried out on this site in February 2001 (Excavations 2001, No. 229). The enclosure identified from an aerial photograph was not revealed, but several isolated areas of archaeological potential were found. Planning permission was granted for the development of the site, and monitoring was undertaken under an extension to the licence. Two small areas of archaeological interest were identified during monitoring, c. 55m apart. No trace of the circular enclosure was revealed.
In Area 1 two pits were identified almost 2m apart. The larger, F2, measured 2m north–south by 1.46m by 0.28m deep and was irregularly cut. There were three fills in the pit and four cut features: two post-pipes and two possible pipes. These were of similar dimensions, 0.16–0.28m in diameter and 0.23–0.26m deep, and were toward the centre of the pit, c. 0.3m apart. Packing-stones were present around each post-pipe, although some were slightly disturbed during topsoil-stripping. The upper fill of F2, which sealed the post-pipes and possible post-pipes, was dark brown, silty clay. A substantial portion of a prehistoric ceramic vessel was revealed in this fill. The pottery appeared to represent a single vessel and was in layers sitting on itself, as if deliberately deposited in several large sherds that had been further broken in the ground. The pottery was a well-made flat-based pot; no rimsherds were present. It will be further analysed.
The smaller pit measured 0.39m north–south by 0.48m by 0.18m deep and was north of F2. It was evenly cut, and one piece of worked flint was recovered from it.
Approximately 55m to the north, additional archaeological features were revealed in Area 2. A pit and a scorched area or hearth, F3, were identified. They were almost 0.6m apart. The pit measured 1.82m north-east/south-west and was 0.26m deep. It contained four fills, from which occasional fragments of cremated bone were recovered. The pit was cut at its south-western end by a plough furrow and had cut an earlier feature, F6, the remains of a small scorched area measuring 0.21m north-east/south-west by 0.2m.
The hearth, F3, measured 1.24m east–west by 1.1m and was 0.15m deep. It sat directly on subsoil, with no evidence of a fire-pit having been cut to receive it. Underlying the scorched clay, two stake-holes were revealed at the southern side. These were 0.12m in maximum diameter and 0.11m deep. At the northern side of the hearth was a small post-pit in which five small post-pipes were identified. The maximum diameter of these post-pipes was 0.1m, and their maximum depth was 0.19m. Closeby, two additional stake-holes were identified on removal of the scorched clay. One of these may have held up to three stakes. These were of similar dimensions to the other stake-holes identified. The stake- and post-holes at the southern and northern sides of the hearth may have supported hearth furniture such as a spit.
AE House, Monahan Road, Cork
