2006:1124 - Cannonswood 1, Laois

An excavation was carried out in response to an assessment, in advance of the proposed M7 Portlaoise to Castletown/M8 Portlaoise to Cullahill motorway scheme between February and March 2006. The work was carried out on behalf of Laois County Council and the National Roads Authority.
Cannonswood 1 was identified as the remains of a fulacht fiadh following the assessment of Testing Area 10. Contract 1 of the project incorporated the Portlaoise to Cullahill section of the scheme, consisting of c. 14km of motorway, which extends from Aghaboe to south of Cullahill through the townlands from Gortnaclea to Oldtown. Cannonswood 1 was located in gently undulating small hills, which drained to the east to a small stream.
Topsoil-stripping on this site revealed a possible furnace (in which a spearhead and other metal fragments were found), some small pits and a large pit or well, into which deposits of organic material alternated with natural deposits. Bones located at the base of the well were provisionally identified as human.
The furnace/pit (1.76m by 1.2m by 0.18m) was an irregular shape with square corners. It was filled by soft black sandy clay with frequent charcoal, which contained metal fragments. The upper fill was soft brown organic silt, which contained a spearhead.
Beside the possible furnace was a probably contemporary small oval pit (1m by 0.65m by 0.25m) filled by compact grey silty sand. An oval pit, possibly a well that was later used as a refuse pit (2.9m by 2.2m by 1.36m), had fills that alternated between organic silts and natural sands. The bones (which were provisionally identified as human) lay near the base.
All of the samples from this site have yet to be analysed.