County: Kilkenny Site name: AR044, Kilkeasy
Sites and Monuments Record No.: - Licence number: A032, AR044, E3015
Author: Jonathan Monteith, for Valerie J. Keeley Ltd, Brehon House, Kilkenny Road, Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny.
Site type: Cereal-drying kiln and pits
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 651926m, N 633380m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.449415, -7.236103
This site was identified in the townland of Kilkeasy, Co. Kilkenny, in the course of work carried out for Kilkenny County Council/National Roads Authority during the N9/N10 Waterford to Powerstown scheme. The site was initially identified as a single charcoal-rich pit and was located on a slight north–south ridge of pasture. The site was excavated in September 2006.
This site (measuring 15m by 15m) consisted of a cereal-drying kiln and several outlying pits in the immediate vicinity. The kiln was keyhole-shaped in plan and consisted of a subcircular bowl (measuring 1.78m in length, 1.53m wide and 0.23m maximum depth) with its long axis orientated east–west, and a flue extending 2.61m to the north (measuring 0.62m wide and 0.21m maximum depth). The flue was disturbed at its northern extent and became much shallower at its terminus.
Several stratified layers were recorded within the cut of the bowl for the kiln. A primary layer of black, charcoal-rich material lay over the reddish-orange, oxidised natural base of the bowl. This was subsequently sealed by a series of secondary fills post-dating the use of the kiln. One of these layers contained charcoal and angular stones, which may be associated with a stone lining of the kiln. The final fill of the bowl was the same as that of the fill of the flue. This constituted the final backfill of the feature.
The charcoal-rich primary layer may be the remains of the last use of the kiln, thus further specialist analysis of these samples and those taken from subsequent layers is required to analyse the charred organic content.
The stone content of the secondary fill may indicate that the kiln was lined; however, no in situ lining was recorded. The oxidisation of the base of the cut indicates the kiln was used at least once, but further firing of the kiln was indeterminable.
Three irregular, shallow pits were excavated c. 5m to the south-east of the kiln. There was a stratigraphic relationship between these pits and the kiln. Each contained fills with small flecks of charcoal. It is possible that this is residual charcoal from the use of the kiln. These pits (averaging 0.7m long, 0.41m wide and 0.14m deep) do not represent any structural function but may be associated with using sod or soil to cover a roof over the kiln.
