County: Carlow Site name: RUSSELSTOWN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E2571/72
Author: Linda Hegarty, Headland Archaeology Ltd.
Site type: House - Neolithic, Enclosure, Cremation pit and Pit
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 678277m, N 678995m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.856180, -6.837691
The site was excavated as part of the N9/N10 Kilcullen to Waterford scheme: Kilcullen to Powerstown. It was situated on the side of a south-west-facing slope, with its southern part originally identified as a separate site (E2572), and was later amalgamated with the northern part’s licence number. Excavation revealed the remains of a Neolithic house, with a substantial foundation trench partly exposed inside the east edge of the road corridor. The structure was situated on a crest of a south-west-facing slope.
The fully exposed western side of the house was 8.5m long. The exposed lengths of the north and south foundation trench were 3.5m and 6m respectively. The foundation trench was continuous, with an average width of 0.55m and depth of 0.38m. The south foundation trench appeared to terminate directly west of the edge of site, possibly indicating the location of an entranceway. Within the foundation trench there was evidence for post-holes, which aligned with two internal posts. A hearth was situated inside the north end of the structure. The walls were constructed by split timber planks surrounded by packing stones. The fill contained large quantities of Western Neolithic ware. Oxidised red clay and charcoal surrounding the timber slot indicates that the walls and posts were burnt in situ.
A curvilinear ditch enclosed the structure. It was partially situated inside the east edge of the site, measuring 56.7m long, 1.42m wide and a 0.8m deep. Pottery provisionally identified as Bronze Age in date was recovered from its fill.
Four cremation pits were recorded on site, three of which occurred in close proximity to each other, located centrally within the excavation trench, with a fourth situated near the east edge of the road corridor beyond the north extent of the curvilinear ditch. All four contained burnt bone, with two containing prehistoric pottery sherds and one a small stone axe. A second small stone axe was recovered from a pit situated directly inside the southern extent of the enclosing curvilinear ditch.
A large number of pits were distributed throughout the site. Some produced prehistoric pottery sherds, with others yielding medieval pottery fragments. Charcoal-production pits were situated in the northern half of the site. A number of ditches that appeared to act as field boundaries are likely to be post-medieval in date. Post-excavation work and analysis is ongoing.
Unit 1, Wallingstown Business Park, Little Island, Cork
