County: Limerick Site name: PROSPECT
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E1424
Author: Tony Cummins, Aegis Archaeology Ltd.
Site type: Fulacht fia
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 563708m, N 660633m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.695625, -8.536891
This site was revealed during monitoring by Avril Hayes of the Clareville to Newcastle rising main, Co. Limerick (No. 1146, Excavations 2002, 01E1069), and was excavated in September 2002. There was no visible trace of this site before the removal of the topsoil layer, and it appeared to have been levelled by later ploughing activity. After the removal of the topsoil, it was revealed as a spread of blackened and fire-shattered stones contained in a black soil. This material extended outside the western limit of the development area but, where evident, measured 5.4m east–west by 13m by 0.3m thick. There was no trace of a hearth or trough in the exposed part of the site, and these features may be situated in the unexcavated area to the west.
Seven post-holes and three stake-holes were uncovered after the removal of the fulacht material, and these were set into the natural subsoil. The full area of the timber structure formed by these features was not revealed, but the recorded extent indicated a circular building c. 5m in diameter. A single post-hole was situated in the central area of the structure, which appeared to function as a roof support. No artefacts were recovered from this site, but a number of small burnt bone fragments were retrieved from some of the post- and stake-holes; these were being analysed at the time of writing.
16 Avondale Court, Corbally, Limerick
