County: Kilkenny Site name: AR023, Scart
Sites and Monuments Record No.: - Licence number: A032/AR023, E3002
Author: Jonathan Monteith, for Valerie J. Keeley Ltd, Brehon House, Kilkenny Road, Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny.
Site type: Post-hole and pit
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 656714m, N 622725m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.353181, -7.167479
This site was identified in the townland of Scart, 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 identified as two isolated pits. Excavation took place in July 2006.
This site (measuring 15m by 15m) consisted of a steep, straight-sided possible post-hole measuring 0.65m in diameter, cutting natural subsoil to a depth of 0.56m. The base was slightly pointed, with axis sloping slightly to the west. A single fill contained several substantial stones, some of which were positioned along the edges of the cut and may have functioned as packing stones for a substantial load-bearing post. There was no evidence of a post being burned or decaying in situ, and the disturbed nature of the packing stones in the fill may indicate that a wooden post or stone was deliberately removed.
To the immediate north, a possible double post-hole was excavated. Each post-hole measured c. 0.2m in diameter and was on average 0.12m deep. It is unlikely that these would have been load-bearing posts, given their relatively shallow depths. No other features were identified on the site.
No finds were recovered from these features during excavation, but analysis of environmental samples may help secure a date and provide further details to aid analysis and interpretation.
It is probable that this site is closely related to a substantial late Neolithic and possible Bronze Age site located to the immediate east, and may prove to be contemporary in date (see No. 1092 above, E3001).
