2004:0923 - RATHPATRICK (Site 17), Kilkenny

Investigations were carried out on behalf of Waterford City Council as part of Contract 3 archaeological investigations prior to construction of the N25 Waterford bypass. Contract 2 pre-construction testing by Emmet Stafford (Excavations 2003, No. 1042, 03E0523) on this site in 2003 identified a flat-bottomed feature, pits, a slot and linear features.

Full resolution took place between June and July 2004. It was established that most of the small pits were associated with field clearance and natural hollows in the subsoil. One pit to the north-east was shown to be part of a cluster of similar small pits of indeterminate function; one of the linear features was part of a boundary ditch and another was part of a land drain.

A previously unidentified burnt mound, around 10m2, was found at the western end of the site at the edge of a wetland area. Two small subrectangular troughs were present beneath the mound. One trough had its cut further delineated by stake-holes. A tanged flint arrowhead was recovered from the burnt mound and six pieces of struck flint were found in a sandy grey silt below it. All six may have come from one core.

Six metres east of the mound, the subsoil consisted of a band of soft yellow/orange boulder clay. A spread of burnt clay and six small pits were found cut into this boulder clay. Sixteen metres farther east, there was a shallow linear feature which contained a Late Mesolithic Bann flake (identified by P. Woodman). Some 2m beyond this feature was the first of a group of larger pits, which extended 44m across the site on a south-west to north-east alignment and continued north-east beyond the limits of excavation. One of these pits contained prehistoric pottery and a struck flint flake and two pieces of worked flint were recovered from topsoil in the vicinity.

The Mile Post, Waterford