2005:917 - SHANBOE (5), Laois

Testing was carried out before the construction of the M7 Portlaoise–Castletown/M8 Portlaoise–Cullahill Motorway Scheme. In March 2005, during centre-line testing of Contract 2, Testing Area 14, carried out by Linda Clarke (No. 912, Excavations 2005), the ploughed-out remains of a burnt stone spread and two associated pits were identified in Field 478 (Plot 117). The site was designated Shanboe 5 and was excavated between 7 September and 4 October. An area measuring 25m by 25m was stripped of topsoil by mechanical excavator to a depth of c. 0.4m.

The site comprised a D-shaped burnt mound (F4) adjacent to the line of a small stream, measuring 15m (north-west/south-east) by 6m and up to 0.4m deep. A trough was located below the F4 burnt mound, measuring 2.7m (north–south) by 1.8m and 0.8m deep. The fill was black charcoal-enriched clay containing burnt stones. There were a number of smaller outlying features, including a hearth measuring 1.2m by 0.65m and 0.05m deep, with oxidised edging and charcoal-enriched fill. A possible hut site was identified next to the hearth. The feature was delineated by a formation of fifteen stake-holes. In outline the structure was 3.5m long (east–west) by 1.5m wide. A separate burnt stone spread was located at the south-west corner of the site, measuring 3.1m by 2.5m and up to 0.1m deep. A pit was located adjacent to this spread, measuring 1.7m by 1.1m and 0.6m deep. The fill was loose black silt containing heat-shattered stone and charcoal. Another pit, also at the south-west corner of the site, measuring 1.6m by 1.1m and 0.26m deep, contained a large quantity of charcoal in the lower fill. The archaeological material represents the levelled remains of an ancient cooking site, or fulacht fiadh.