County: Kilkenny Site name: Ballykeoghan
Sites and Monuments Record No.: - Licence number: E002500
Author: Joanna Wren, for Valerie J. Keeley Ltd, Brehon House, Kilkenny Road, Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny.
Site type: Prehistoric and early medieval
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 658545m, N 618454m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.314602, -7.141340
The site was uncovered during archaeological work for the NRA in advance of the N9/N10 Waterford to Powerstown scheme. In July 2006 four areas of excavation were opened in the vicinity of features uncovered in testing (A0032/01–08).
In Area 6 a subrectangular cutting of 306m2 was cleared of topsoil. The feature uncovered in testing was revealed to be a natural hollow.
In Area 7 a subrectangular trench of 1200m2 was cleared of topsoil. In the centre of the cutting was a large circular, stone-lined pit. This seemed to be the remains of a kiln, probably a limekiln, with an earth-cut flue on its western side. The upper levels of the kiln were cut by a post-medieval boundary ditch orientated north–south.
Area 8 consisted of two cuttings, one of 1722m2 and the second, farther east, was 216m2. In the larger cutting the features uncovered in testing were revealed to be small hollows and planting holes, with one possible stake-hole. In the smaller cutting there was a burnt mound measuring 7.5m east–west by 8m. The mound extended east beyond the limits of excavation. Below the mound there were two oval pits, which may have been the remains of troughs.
Area 9 also consisted of two cuttings, 52m apart. The first of these measured 3844m2 and the second, further north, measured 225m2. At the southern edge of the first site there were two furnaces and a small circular pit. In the centre of the excavated area there was more evidence for metalworking. There were four shallow depressions/pits containing substantial deposits of charcoal and some slag in their fills.
In the same area there were seventeen small subcircular pits. Bronze Age pottery was found in the fill of one of these pits and on the surface close to another and three of the pits had cremated bone evident in their fills. In the second cutting to the north, the feature uncovered in testing proved to be a modern planting hole.
Samples taken from the burnt-stone spread and the chamber of the kiln are being processed for environmental analysis, cremated bone, metalworking debris and material for radiocarbon dating. Work is under way towards the production of both preliminary and detailed final reports on this site.
