County: Wexford Site name: KILLYBEGS
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A003/049
Author: Kevin Martin, Valerie J. Keeley Ltd.
Site type: Burnt mound
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 720247m, N 667258m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.743012, -6.219085
The initial identification of archaeological features on the site was confirmed by testing under licence A003/005 as part of the N11 Gorey–Arklow scheme. Excavation commenced in June for a period of four weeks. The site was located to the east of the N11 between Gorey and Inch, c. 6.8km to the south-west of Arklow, in a low-lying area immediately west of slightly rising ground.
The main feature consisted of a burnt mound located in the middle of the site. It was comprised of a spread of silty clay with charcoal and heat-cracked stones, measuring 5.5m long, 5.5m wide and 0.25m deep. Beneath the southern side of the mound was a shallow trough cut. It was orientated east–west and measured 2.4m by 2.1m and 0.15m deep. It had vertical sides and a sharp break of slope at the base, which was regularly cut and of compact clay. A possible second shallow trough was excavated directly to the east. It was rectangular in plan and measured 1.5m by 1.1m and 0.16m in depth. It had concave sides and an irregular cut base. Its base was heavily scorched.
A number of irregular tree bole cuts were also recorded near to the troughs. C.17 was an irregular-shaped bole cut with a north–south orientation. It measured 1.1m long, 0.41m wide and 0.25m deep. It had steep sides and its base tapered to a point. C.105 was located nearby and measured 2.3m by 0.75m and 0.6m in depth. Its cut was very irregular, with concave sides and an irregular base. The tree boles pre-dated the archaeological activity on the site, as they were filled with material relating to the burnt-mound phase.
A further 21 circular and oval features comprising very compacted grey and white sandy clay deposits were investigated. The average dimensions of the features recorded were typically 0.25m in diameter and up to 0.2m in depth. They were non-archaeological.
A palaeo-river channel ran north–south across the site for a distance of 7.5m. It was 5m wide and 0.5m deep. The fills of the channel comprised grey silty and sandy clays with orange flecks throughout and occasional charcoal. It was evident that the channel pre-dated the burnt-mound activity on the site, as the channel fills were recorded under the mound material and one of the trough cuts was truncating one of the main channel fills. It was also found that the channel was actively depositing material over the burnt mound following the abandonment of the site. It is likely that it provided an accessible water source for use in the trough. Four linear field drains were also recorded on Site 49.
Finds consisted of worked flint, worked quartzite, iron nails and post-medieval pottery. Dating of these features awaits the return of results from the radiocarbon analysis of charcoal samples from the fill of the troughs.
Brehon House, Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny
