2006:1266 - Gortnalahagh, Limerick

The remains of several pits were identified as part of test-trenching the proposed N7 route in early 2006. A026/169 covered two separate trenches. The northern trench produced seven pits in the western corner and so the trench was extended in this direction. In total, ten pits were excavated and a number of those investigated were large stone sockets. The pits encountered were quite small (0.5–0.6m) and circular in plan. Three pits contained burnt material which was then sealed with redeposited natural. A spread of burnt material was also found. The only rectangular pit contained a single fill containing a small fragment of burnt bone. A wider oval pit was filled with clay containing pebbles and charcoal. This cut appeared to utilise an already natural hollow or stone socket. The fill of a circular depression was found to include small burnt-bone fragments, but the depression may have been naturally formed.
The southern trench was centred on a rectangular pit cut. This measured 1.65m by 0.7m and was filled with charcoal to a depth of 0.03m. This had been burned in situ and reddened the underlying clay. Due to the shallowness of the remaining archaeology, it is likely that this had been a deeper charcoal pit which was later truncated. No finds were recovered and samples were taken from all deposits.