County: Dublin Site name: GRANGE: Baldoyle (Site 10:2)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 04E0706
Author: Stuart D. Elder, The Archaeology Company
Site type: Kiln
Period/Dating: Bronze Age (2200 BC-801 BC)
ITM: E 724541m, N 740358m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.398671, -6.127252
Site 10:2 was situated on relatively flat pasture towards the crown of a south-east-facing slope, at the eastern end of an east-west esker in the western half of the new town development. Found during testing, it comprised a single north-south-orientated oval pit feature containing two fills, and with heavy oxidisation of the edges denoting intense burning in situ.
It was an elongated oval in plan, with a vertical eastern side, steep sides to south and west and a long, gently-sloping north side. It measured 1.52m in length, 0.7m in width and had a maximum depth of 0.13m. There was a slightly deeper portion in the southernmost third of the cut and both sides and base of the feature showed heavy oxidisation.
This site has been interpreted as an isolated kiln-type feature and probably dates to the Bronze Age, based upon site typology. The oxidisation of the edges and base attest to the presence of intense burning in situ and the shallow, gentle slope of the northern end suggests a facility for 'raking out' the spent fuel ash after firing.
The inclusions of burnt clay and burnt sand within the primary deposit of the feature may be intrinsically linked to pottery production; the location of the site close to marshland suggests that it is ideally placed to exploit a readily available source of local clay in one of the wetter parts of the landscape. As such, it may be related in some way to Site 5:2 (No. 454, Excavations 2004, 04E0698) in the same development.
Birr Technology Centre, Mill Island, Birr, Co. Offaly
