2006:1026 - Site AR55 to AR57, Glashare, Kilkenny

An excavation was carried out in August to September 2006 in advance of the construction of the M8/N8 Cullahill to Cashel road improvement scheme. Prior assessment and centreline test-trenching was carried out in 2005 by Colm Moriarty (Excavations 2005, No. 790, A027/016). This site was located north of Johnstown in a level pasture field c. 200m from Glashare tower-house. The site was divided into three, based on the testing results.
AR55 was a collection of unworked stones, probably representing an area of field clearance in proximity to the field boundary. A worked flint blade was recovered from the topsoil within the vicinity.
AR56 was a burnt mound, badly disturbed by a series of plough furrows, drains and field boundaries, measuring 12.85m (east–west) by 11.6m and 0.42m in depth, composed of dark-black/brown sandy silt that contained large amounts of charcoal and burnt stone. Three shallow pits/troughs were revealed under the mound. The first was located in the south-west corner, was subrectangular in shape and measured 1.65m by 1.51m and 0.12m in depth. Three small stake-holes were also recorded in the corners. The second trough was also subrectangular, orientated north–south, and measured 1.66m by 1.12m and 0.14m in depth. The third possible pit/trough was truncated by a linear ditch on its southern side. It was subcircular in shape and measured 2.65m by 1.2m and 0.2m in depth.
A second burnt mound at AR56 measured 20m in length, 12m in width and 0.3m in depth and was composed of compact black sandy silt with frequent medium-sized angular burnt stones and charcoal. Beneath the mound was a subrectangular pit/trough measuring 3.7m by 1.4m and 0.25m in depth. This had been truncated on its eastern/western sides by drains.
A third area was a burnt spread located on the southern side of Glashare Stream and was very irregular, split into three areas as a result of being heavily disturbed by a series of plough furrows. It consisted of black/brown loosely compacted silty sand, with charcoal and frequent burnt stone that lay over the natural subsoil.
Excavation at Site AR57 also revealed two shallow possible hearths. The first was subrectangular in shape, was orientated east–west and measured 1.24m in length, 0.28m in width and 0.24m in depth. It had vertical sides and an undulating base and contained two fills, the upper one containing occasional lumps of charcoal. Around the rim of the feature the clay had turned red due to the intense heat that had been produced. Lying perpendicular to this was a second similar feature. It was orientated north–south and was irregular in shape. It measured 1.7m by 0.67m and 0.1m in depth. Lying on top of the natural in close proximity to these features were a number of badly deteriorated pieces of probable prehistoric pottery.