County: Westmeath Site name: KILTOTAN/COLLINSTOWN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A001/007
Author: Áine Richardson, Eachtra Archaeological Projects, Ballycurreen Industrial Estate, Kinsale Road, Cork.
Site type: Burnt mound, pits and post-medieval agricultural features
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 644831m, N 738765m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.397137, -7.325918
Excavations were undertaken in advance of realignment of the N6, between Kinnegad and Kilbeggan, Co. Westmeath, in 2004 (Excavations 2004, No. 1748, 04E0908). Kiltotan/Collinstown 12 was one of four areas of archaeology uncovered in Kiltotan and Collinstown townlands, near the western end of the scheme. Kiltotan/Collinstown 12 was located c. 2.3 km south-west of Rochfortbridge. The site consisted of later agricultural activity, a mound of heat-shattered stones and charcoal, and six pits.
Later activity was evident in the form of hand-dug furrows, drains and a large modern ditch which truncated the archaeological deposits. The burnt mound was composed of four layers. The mound measured c. 5m by 4m and was on average 0.35m deep. Charcoal from one of the layers has been sent for radiocarbon dating. Six pits were excavated. Charcoal samples from two have also been sent for radiocarbon dating (results pending). Two of the layers from the burnt mound also formed the fill of four of the six pits. The remaining two pits were filled with a silty material containing charcoal. Two of the pits possibly acted as troughs: one was 0.8m wide and 0.32m deep but, due to truncation, its full length is unknown and, similarly, the full length of the other was unknown, but its width was 1.15m and it was 0.2m deep.
It is postulated that, given the number of pits and potential troughs on the site, the mound may have been more extensive than that which was uncovered within the road-take. Although truncated by modern agricultural activity, which explains some of the reduction in size of the mound, the excavated area may be just a part of a larger deposit that lies beyond the road-take to the south.
