County: Limerick Site name: ROSSTEMPLE (BGE 3/72/6–7)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E0510
Author: Marie Dowling and Kate Taylor, Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 554187m, N 636668m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.479512, -8.674419
This site was examined as part of Bord Gáis Éireann’s Pipeline to the West. Several areas of archaeological interest were revealed during monitoring in this location, which were excavated together under a single licence.
The total site area was 154m2, with a concentration of features toward the middle and south. Eight features were excavated: three large pits, a post-hole, two small pits with evidence of burning, a ditch and a stake-hole. Dating and analysis of these features are partially dependent on the anticipated radiocarbon dates; however, at least four of the features appear to be prehistoric, with the remainder possibly representing more recent activity.
The earliest feature was the short length of ditch. This was less than 4m long and formed a right angle, although it did not appear to be part of a larger enclosure. A piece of worked flint was recovered from the ditch fill, one end of which was truncated by a large pit. Three fills were identified in this pit, each with a small charcoal content. The primary fill produced a flint scraper and a debitage flake. The secondary and tertiary fills contained a quantity of burnt and unburnt bone and a whetstone. A subcircular stake-hole was situated at the base of this pit. The other possible prehistoric feature was a smaller pit that contained animal bone in its primary fill and burnt stones in its upper fill.
The post-hole, the third large pit and the two small pits that showed evidence of in situ burning may be the results of agricultural clearance by burning, although the dating remains to be confirmed.
A similar site with a complex of small pits, a post-hole and possible cremation burials disturbed by modern activity was excavated 50m to the east and may be related (No. 1253, Excavations 2002, 02E0511).
2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin
