County: Cork Site name: FERMOY (2)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: CO035-148---- , CO035-132---- and CO035-133---- Licence number: 03E0979
Author: Aidan O’Connell, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Site type: Pit, Burnt mound, Pit-burial and Kiln - corn-drying
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 582139m, N 598390m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.137084, -8.260913
Testing was carried out in advance of construction along the route of the proposed N8 Rathcormac–Fermoy Bypass on behalf of Cork County Council in 2002. During this phase of centre-line testing the presence of potential archaeological features was identified in Fermoy townland. These were dispersed throughout a field near the southern bank of the River Blackwater and included pits, hearths, linear features, a post-hole and a drain. The site was subsequently designated Fermoy 2 and was excavated in July 2003. Two areas were excavated at the site in the course of resolution. Area 1 was located at the north and at the base of a steep north-facing slope. Area 2 was located at the south on a flat plateau at the top of the slope.
Area 2
Towards the northern limit of Trench 2 a hoard of 65 flint pebble cores was deposited in a small subcircular pit. The pit had dimensions of 0.2m by 0.15m by 0.1m deep. Although most of the flint had been struck, there were no diagnostic artefacts.
The remains of three burnt mounds were recorded further south in the same trench and in the vicinity of a well located on top of the north-facing slope. The three mounds showed signs of disturbance from modern agricultural activity, with post-medieval pottery recorded in them all.
Burnt Mound 1 was the most northerly of the three. It was 13m east–west by 12m by 0.3m deep (maximum). A clay-lined subrectangular trough with dimensions of 2.1m by 1.4m by 0.9m deep was found in association with this mound. In addition, a large concentration of in excess of 40 pits and stake-holes was recorded under the mound material. The pits had average dimensions of 0.4m by 0.3m by 0.15m deep, with charcoal-flecked clay fills. The presence of stones at the base of many of these pits suggests that they may have been post-holes. There was, however, no discernible pattern to suggest the presence of a house or other structure in this area.
Burnt Mound 2 was located c. 10m to the south-west and had dimensions of 13m by 10m by 0.34m deep. It was associated with an unlined rectangular trough, 1.02m by 0.73m by 0.6m deep, and was filled with black carbonised silty clay with frequent heat-shattered stones.
Burnt Mound 3 was located to the east and was 12m by 6.5m by 0.26m deep. It had a large oval unlined trough with dimensions of 2.52m by 2.42m by 1.2m deep. The fill was of similar type to the overlying mound material.
Area 1
Further possible Bronze Age activity was recorded at the site in the form of a cremation pit located in Area 1 at the foot of the steep north-facing slope.
A keyhole-shaped corn-drying kiln was excavated at the south-eastern corner of Trench 1. The bowl was cut into a natural incline, with the flue located further downslope. The bowl was 1.5m in diameter and 0.65m deep. The flue, extending southwards and downslope, was 2.5m long by 1m wide by 0.5m deep. The entire structure was lined with mainly unworked angular stones. One of the stones used to line the flue was, however, a fragment of rotary quern. A second lining stone may have been an unfinished rotary quernstone. The hearth area, which was located at the south, was disturbed by agricultural activity. A concentration of sixteen stake-holes was located to the west of the kiln, but no definite structure was identified. Additional dispersed pits were recorded in the northern trench (Area 1). One of these contained another fragment of a rotary quernstone.
The work was funded in full by the National Development Plan 2000–2006 and awarded by the National Roads Authority.
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