County: Laois Site name: CLONRUD (3)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A015/161, E2264
Author: Ken Wiggins, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Site type: Burnt spread and Pit
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 636780m, N 687972m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.941293, -7.452797
This site was located within Contract 3 of the proposed M7 Portlaoise to Castletown/M8 Portlaoise to Cullahill motorway scheme and was identified by the writer during advance testing in March–April 2005 (Excavations 2005, No. 889, A015/052). It was excavated on behalf of Laois County Council, funded by the National Roads Authority, between May and June 2006.
The stripped area measured 40m (east–west) by 35m and was located on sloping pasture above waterlogged ground. The site comprised evidence for the use of hot-stone technology, consisting of a number of shallow irregular spreads of black charcoal-enriched clay containing heat-shattered sandstone fragments. The main features were four large pits or troughs, three grouped about the north end of the site, the other, which had some timber elements along the base, detached to the south. The site was bounded to the north by a ditch aligned east–west, which truncated one of the troughs. The ditch corresponded with a field boundary line shown on the first-edition OS map (1839). The only find was a curved iron fragment from the fill of the ditch.
Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth
