County: Kilkenny Site name: Earlsrath
Sites and Monuments Record No.: - Licence number: E002510
Author: Liam Mckinstry, 9 Ballantyne Place, Steamboat Quay, Limerick, Co. Limerick, for Valerie J. Keeley Ltd.
Site type: Enclosure
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 656402m, N 626566m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.387736, -7.171412
The excavations at Earlsrath, sites E2510, E3005, E3006 and E3007, were undertaken as part of the archaeological programme for the N9/N10 Waterford to Powerstown road scheme.
Site E2510 consisted of the western part of a circular enclosure ditch, as well as a number of shallow boundary or drainage ditches. The main enclosure ditch had a width range of 2.6m to 1.4m. The maximum depth was 1.2m. The north–south length of the ditch was 26.5m by 11.2m. The estimated diameter of the enclosure would have been c. 28m. The enclosure ditch appeared to be mainly V-shaped, though with evidence of recutting throughout. Some of the smaller ditches which were associated with the enclosure possibly represented an outer enclosure adjacent to the main one, possibly for keeping livestock. This outer enclosure consisted of two curvilinear ditches which projected out from the main enclosure in an approximately east–west direction. The northernmost ditch was c. 0.54m wide and had a maximum depth of 0.8m, where it joined the main enclosure. The ditch was c. 22m in length and seemed to turn at the edge of the excavated area towards the south-west. The southernmost ditch was c. 0.95m wide and 0.4m in depth. The ditch was c. 12m in length within the excavated area and curved slightly towards the north-west. The ditch was truncated by a modern north–south-orientated drainage ditch where it would have joined the main enclosure.
A number of shallow circular pits were identified within the main enclosure and the possible outer enclosure. Several of the pits within the main enclosure contained prehistoric artefacts, such as pottery and a small stone adze or axe that had been placed within the pits in such a way as to suggest ritual activity. The other pits mainly outside the main enclosure contained burnt bone and were probably the remains of rubbish pits. Few finds were recovered from the main enclosure ditch and those that were, such as a whetstone, would suggest a tentative early medieval date, though a prehistoric date cannot be completely ruled out.
