2006:1244 - Brackbaun, Limerick

This site was excavated under Ministerial Directive A035/00 in advance of the N8 road improvement between Cashel, Co. Tipperary, and Mitchelstown, Co. Cork. It was located 75m to the west of a Bronze Age cremation burial (see No. 1243 above, E2338) and c. 135m west of an area of burning (see No. 1245 below, E2340). The area of excavation measured 60m by 20m. The site consisted of a large fulacht fiadh and two smaller spreads of burnt-mound material and a kiln.
The main feature on this site was a large fulacht fiadh located on the south end of the site, just west of the former river channel. A rectangular trough had been cut into the subsoil just 0.7m to the west of the river. The trough probably held water sourced from the river. It measured 5m by 1.9m and was 0.4m deep. Several large stones at the edges of the trough may have been part of a stone lining and there was a large timber (0.85m by 0.22m) and a number of wooden fragments at the base of the trough. The hearth was evident from an area of scorched earth immediately to the north of the trough. There were two adjoining pits located 4.5m to the north-west of the trough. These were 0.99m and 1.04m by 0.72m respectively and were up to 0.38m deep. These pits held fire debris, which may have been linked to the hearth. The trough and hearth were sealed by a large mound of black silty clay, with frequent inclusions of burnt stone and charcoal. This measured 19m by 13.5m and varied greatly in depth. It was an average of 0.14m deep towards the north-west and was up to 1m deep at the south-east edge. There were four smaller deposits of burnt material c. 25m north of the large mound. These spreads had a lower frequency of charcoal and the largest of them measured 11.5m by 5.3m. The others were between 1.7m by 1m and 2.6m by 2.5m and between 0.09m and 0.4m deep.
A kiln was located 20m north of the fulacht fiadh. It was subrectangular in plan and measured 2.74m by 0.9m. The fire bowl was located in its northern end and was 1.02m deep. The kiln was probably used for drying cereal crops. The results of specialist analysis of material recovered during excavation are awaited.