County: Dublin Site name: GRANGE: Baldoyle (Site 2:1)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 04E0352
Author: Stuart D. Elder, The Archaeology Company
Site type: Fulacht fia
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 724541m, N 740358m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.398671, -6.127252
Site 2:1 was found during topsoil-stripping for the southern primary route of a new town development at Grange, Baldoyle (No. 446, Excavations 2004, 03E1535). It was situated in low-lying pasture at the base of a north-facing slope, close to an area of persistent wetland centred upon a small stream.
The site comprised three features: an elongated oval pit measuring 1.92m by 0.97m by 0.32m deep containing two fills and a clay lining; a shallow subrectangular spread; and a short linear feature. The heat-shattered stone and charcoal-rich deposits filling the pit and spread were consistent with a burnt-mound site, though it is believed that intensive cultivation removed almost all traces of the mound. The linear feature probably represents a modern plough furrow.
This site has been interpreted as the remains of a ploughed-out fulacht fiadh of probable prehistoric date. The pit feature most likely represents a single trough, lined with clay to prevent water seepage, and eventually filled by two separate layers of burnt-stone and charcoal-mound material. The shallow spread possibly sits within a depression left after excavation of clay for the lining of the trough. The reason behind this presumption is that the lining deposit and the surrounding clay substrate are almost identical in nature.
The shallow linear feature to the north of the spread has been interpreted as a plough furrow and shows direct evidence of the destruction of the burnt mound through previous agricultural practice.
Post-excavation analysis is ongoing and it is hoped to have the results published in a suitable journal.
Birr Technology Centre, Mill Island, Birr, Co. Offaly
