County: Cork Site name: KILSHANNY (3)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E002432
Author: James Lyttleton, for Eachtra Archaeological Projects
Site type: Burnt mound and Fulacht fia
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 583371m, N 613066m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.269038, -8.243625
The site at Kilshanny 3 was discovered during Phase 1 pre-construction testing in advance of the N8 Fermoy–Mitchelstown road scheme (Cotter et al. 2006). Features found during testing included an oval mound of charcoal-rich heat-shattered stone, comprising a burnt mound/fulacht fiadh. Excavation commenced on 9 November 2006 and continued for six weeks.
Excavation revealed a large area of a dark-brown silt clay overlying a light-grey clay, the natural subsoil in this area. One trough, two pits and a post-hole were excavated and modern field drains truncated the archaeological features in parts of this site.
The mound of charcoal and heat-shattered stone was 19.9m long by 19.4m. It was a maximum of 0.3m deep and appeared to be disrupted by later activity, most probably agricultural (i.e. ploughing). Three further spreads of burnt-mound material were discovered. These were probably a continuation of the main mound, only surviving as isolated deposits as a result of later truncation at the site.
The trough was located almost directly in the centre of the fulacht fiadh underneath the burnt-mound material. It was aligned from north-east to south-west and was 2.4m long by 1.6m wide. It was rectangular in shape, with sharply sloping sides and what appeared to be a step to the south-west end.
Two pits and a post-hole were discovered underneath the burnt-mound material, located in close proximity to the main trough. The larger of the two pits lay 0.2m to the north of the trough. It measured 1.15m north–south by 0.8m and was subcircular in shape. The smaller of the pits was located 2.1m to the south-east of the trough. It was 1.05m long by 0.8m and was oval in shape. The post-hole was located 0.7m south-east of the trough. It was circular in shape and measured 0.5m in diameter. All three features were filled with burnt-mound material, originating from the use of the main trough, and are therefore contemporary with it.
The burnt mound/fulacht fiadh appears to have been disturbed by later modern features, including two field drains and a pit. These features appear to be agricultural in nature.
Bibliography
Cotter, E., Buckley, K. and Drumm, M. 2006 N8 Fermoy Mitchelstown, Phase 1, Final Archaeological Testing Report, Licence Number 05E1150. Unpublished Eachtra Archaeological Projects report submitted to the NRA.
Ballycurreen Industrial Estate, Kinsale Road, Cork
