County: Carlow Site name: Moyle Big
Sites and Monuments Record No.: - Licence number: E002597
Author: Joanne Hughes, Headland Archaeology Ltd, Unit 1, Wallingstown Business Park, Little Island, Cork.
Site type: Possible bowl furnaces
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 676927m, N 673286m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.805076, -6.859088
The site was excavated as part of the N9/N10 Kilcullen to Waterford scheme: Kilcullen to Powerstown. A castle (CW007–051) was identified several hundred metres south-west of the site. This site should be viewed in conjunction with sites E2595, E2596 (see Nos 192 and 193 above), E2593 and E2598 (see Nos 203 and 195 below), as they may represent distinct elements and activities of the same site. The excavation was located c. 100m west of E2598, Moyle Big, and was separated into two areas. Testing in 2005 identified a pit and possible double pit with evidence of metalworking .
Excavation identified a number of non-archaeological features, including plough furrows, field drains and a modern pit. In total, ten possible archaeological pits were excavated in both areas.
Area A identified two pits with burning in situ. The first was circular in plan and measured 0.55m long by 0.36m wide and 0.2m deep. It contained two deposits: the lower fill comprised black silt clay with charcoal and the upper fill consisted of yellow/orange compact sand silt. Directly west, a slightly larger pit was located with burning in situ. This was oval in shape and contained a single fill of black silt clay with charcoal. This pit was truncated by a plough furrow. A further three pits were excavated: two were irregular in shape and contained grey silt clay deposits and a third pit was circular in shape and contained mid-brown silt clay with inclusions of burnt bone. No diagnostic finds were recovered from Area A.
Area B identified two pits with burning in situ, both roughly circular in plan. The first measured 0.47m long by 0.37m wide, the second, located 0.3m to the south, measured 0.45m long by 0.42m wide. A single deposit was recorded in each, which comprised compact black silt clay with large pieces of charcoal. Slag was recovered from the first pit. Slag and burnt flint were recovered from the second pit. A further three pits containing grey silt clay deposits were also excavated. No diagnostic finds were recovered from Area B.
