County: Laois Site name: Killeany 3
Sites and Monuments Record No.: - Licence number: A015/146, E2251
Author: Ken Wiggins, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd, Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth.
Site type: Pits
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 635928m, N 687078m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.933318, -7.465568
This site was located within Contract 3 of the proposed M7 Portlaoise to Castletown/M8 Portlaoise to Cullahill motorway scheme and was identified during advance testing by the writer in March–April 2005 (Excavations 2005, No. 890, A015/053). It was excavated on behalf of Laois County Council, funded by the National Roads Authority, between March and April 2006.
The site consisted of a large spread of light-brown silty sand, which covered most of the south-west of the site and was heavily truncated by furrows, and the remains of two pits. The pits were circular in plan, measuring 1.56m by 1.54m and 0.23m deep and 1.19m long by 1.05m and 0.22m deep. They may have been roasting pits, as the basal fill in each contained burnt limestones. A sherd of medieval pottery was found in the upper fill of one of the pits.
The spread of grey/brown silty sand contained two sherds of post-medieval pottery, an antler knife handle containing a fragment of the blade, and two other knife fragments. It appears to represent a buried topsoil level.
