County: Wexford Site name: PARKBAUN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A003/023
Author: Kevin Martin, Valerie J. Keeley Ltd.
Site type: Burnt mound
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 718826m, N 665601m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.728434, -6.240715
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 May for a period of two weeks. The site was located east of the N11 between Gorey and Inch, c. 5.9km to the north-east of Gorey town, in a poorly drained field at the bottom of a north-west-facing slope. It was situated immediately south-east of a stream.
The initial burnt-mound feature recorded was located towards the middle of the site. It consisted of an irregular-shaped spread of charcoal-rich clayey silt with frequent inclusions of heat-cracked and reddened stones. The spread measured 9.5m by 6m and was 0.18m in depth. The spread was half-sectioned and revealed a lower irregular-shaped trough cut. The trough was orientated east–west and measured 2.4m by 1.28m and was 0.22m in depth. It had sloping sides and a concave to flat base. An area of scorching measuring 1.5m by 1m was recorded on the surface at the eastern side of the trough. The trough was cut into a grey/orange compact clayey silt, which covered the entire area of the site to a depth of 0.15m.
The second burnt mound excavated was in the north-eastern corner of the site, c. 5m south of a stream. It was covered by a wash deposit. It measured 11.5m by 4m. An associated charcoal deposit measuring 2.75m by 1.75m and 0.08m deep was located c. 2m south of the main burnt spread. A single trough was found under the mound material. It was orientated north–south and was rectangular in shape. It measured 1.3m by 1.1m and 0.3m deep. The trough truncated a series of natural wash deposits. Following excavation of the trough, it was evident at the base of the northern side of the cut that wood remains were protruding. These consisted of three separate pieces that lay on top of each other in an area measuring 0.5m by 0.5m. It was evident each piece had been burnt and charred in places. The area directly around the wood was heavily scorched. The wood exhibited signs of metal tool facet marks and one of the pieces may have been charred into a point. The wood species has been preliminarily identified as alder, ash and birch. The wood remains represent an earlier feature truncated later by the trough.
The natural wash deposits in this area were recorded to an accumulated depth of 1.25m.
A palaeo-channel ran in a north–south direction from the northern edge of the site and curved across the middle of the site. It had concave sides and a U-shaped base. It contained seven sandy clay fills and some organic modern root remains. The width of the channel varied from 1.8m to 2.5m and 0.4m in depth. The channel may have functioned as a source of water for use in the trough.
A number of other non-linear features were investigated across the site. Some of these contained occasional to moderate amounts of charcoal. However, following half-sectioning it was established that they were non-archaeological in nature.
The linear features investigated on the site consisted of three modern drains and nine agricultural furrows, all of which were modern in date.
Finds consisted of worked flint 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 and the wood remains.
Brehon House, Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny
