County: Tipperary Site name: WINDMILL (Site 34)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 03E0418
Author: Neil Fairburn, for Judith Carroll Network Archaeology Ltd.
Site type: Pit-burial and Pit
Period/Dating: Bronze Age (2200 BC-801 BC)
ITM: E 607233m, N 639121m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.503436, -7.893452
Phase 2 excavation was carried out at Site 34 on behalf of South Tipperary County Council in advance of construction of the N8 Cashel Bypass and N74 Link Road. The scheme involves a 6km bypass route of the town and a 2km link road of the N74.
Site 34 is an area of good quality pastoral land which lies along the north-eastern slope of Windmill Hill in Windmill townland, c. 1km south of the town of Cashel. To the south lies Windmill ringfort (SMR 61:72) and a medieval leper hospital (SMR 61:73).
Site 34 had previously been tested by Anne Marie Lennon during Phase 1 pre-construction works in 2002 (Excavations 2000, No. 1776, 02E0378). This revealed a single circular pit with charcoal and pockets of red burnt clay.
The Phase 2 stripping and resolution of this area was undertaken to fully excavate the pit and to ascertain if there were any other related features in the vicinity. The subcircular pit was located and fully resolved. One decorated prehistoric rim sherd, possibly Beaker pottery, was recovered. Two additional features were also uncovered, a single cremation burial and an isolated post-hole. A flint scraper was found mixed in with the top of the cremation deposit.
Cocyn Uchaf, Moelfre, Anglesey, Wales
