2002:0907 - BOSTON HILL, Drinnanstown South 2, Kildare

This project was to facilitate the expansion of a quarry. The excavation took place in July 2002. The site was identified during the monitoring of topsoil-stripping by Ruth Elliott in October 2001 (Excavations 2001, No. 638, 01E0916). It lay on the eastern slope of Boston Hill in the townland of Drinnanstown South.

The central focus of the site was a semicircular slot-trench with a large post-hole at the northern terminus and a small post-hole at the southern terminus. The slot-trench had an internal diameter of 6.5m and was 0.4m wide and on average 0.3m deep. The large post-hole, to the north, adjoined the end of the slot-trench. It measured 0.7m by 0.4m and either constituted two connecting post-holes or portrayed signs of reuse. The smaller post-hole measured 0.5m by 0.3m and lay 0.3m from the southern end of the slot-trench.

Two regularly shaped, oblong pits lay c. 3m from the southern exterior of the shelter. They were of similar dimensions (1m by 0.6m by 0.4m deep) and had charcoal-rich fills. One large (0.42m by 0.55m) and two smaller (0.22m by 0.18m, 0.2m by 0.16m) post-holes were situated on the western exterior of the slot-trench. They appeared to have respected the curve of the slot-trench, forming a parallel arc 1.2m from its external edge. One small stake-hole (diameter: 0.12m) was situated on the interior of the slot-trench.

During field-walking of the site and its immediate vicinity (eight months after machine-assisted topsoil-stripping and before excavation), a number of interesting artefacts were found. An intact arrowhead, typical of the Early Bronze Age, was found just downslope from the hut site, in a recent, naturally formed rainwater channel. A number of other flint fragments and half a spindle-whorl were also found in the vicinity of the hut. Unfortunately no artefactual evidence was recovered from secure contexts on the site.

Brehon House, Kilkenny Road, Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny