2002:0787 - DIRTANE, Kerry

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Kerry Site name: DIRTANE

Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E0677

Author: Simon Ó Faoláin, Eachtra Archaeological Projects

Site type: Fulacht fia

Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)

ITM: E 475393m, N 629222m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.400325, -9.831147

This fulacht was impinged on during works related to the construction of a new sewage treatment scheme for Ballyheigue, Co. Kerry. These works were monitored by the author and later by Jacinta Kiely (No. 767, Excavations 2002, 01E1014 ext.) The fulacht was previously unknown, and it was disturbed without an archaeologist being present, as site management had not alerted the licensee to the fact that it was commencing operations in this area. It was decided that any archaeological deposits remaining in situ would be fully excavated.

The fulacht is of considerable size and was cut through by the edge of the pipeline wayleave, with about half to two-thirds of the mound surviving north of the wayleave. Burnt-mound material was visible for a distance of c. 20m in the south-facing section exposed along the northern side of the wayleave. The maximum thickness of the fulacht exposed in the section was c. 0.6m. Given the section profile, the fulacht was probably originally a more compact monument, possibly up to 2m thick, and was gradually lowered and spread by repeated ploughing. Excavation of the wayleave had severely damaged the part of the fulacht that lay within it (one-third to half of the mound). Most of this area had been taken down to subsoil. However, some deposits of mound material still existed in patches, and several cut features could be made out, as well as at least one fairly substantial piece of waterlogged wood.

Excavations took place from 10 to 23 May 2002. A number of features survived in the damaged part of the site. The latest was a series of four field drains that were clearly modern. These cut through the main surviving layer of fulacht material, C8, which was up to 0.2m thick, and also through C5, a thinner, isolated deposit of fulacht material further west. C8 lay directly on the natural subsoil. C5 appeared to be redeposited, as it overlay and filled a field boundary of modern appearance. The only feature that possibly pre-dated the fulacht was a shallow linear cut that was traced for 8m of its length, aligned roughly north–south. It was 2–2.5m wide and 0.3–0.5m deep. This cut was well defined on its eastern edge but more difficult to define at the west. Apart from the fulacht material, it had one underlying fill, a layer of grey/black sandy clay with occasional charcoal and small pieces of burnt stone. This layer was probably formed of fine material washed down through the fulacht mound over time.

Some pieces of waterlogged wood noted during the initial assessment proved to be naturally occurring. No artefactual material was recovered.

The burnt-mound material that had been removed and piled by the tracked excavator when the fulacht was originally disturbed was spread out to a depth of c. 0.3m for metal-detecting. A temporary grid was laid out, and the spread material was systematically walked with a metal-detector. One hit was recorded, caused by a piece of barbed wire. Nothing of an archaeological nature was recovered.

Apart from some thin layers of residual burnt-mound material, the only feature encountered that may have been archaeological was the shallow linear cut, the full extent of which was not established. No evidence of the fulacht trough was encountered.

Glen Fahan, Ventry, Tralee, Co. Kerry