County: Louth Site name: DROMIN (29F01)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 06E0421
Author: Jo Ronayne, ADS Ltd.
Site type: Burnt mound
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 702878m, N 789396m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.843849, -6.436661
The site was discovered during monitoring of topsoil-stripping along the route of the proposed south–north gas pipeline to be constructed by Bord Gáis Éireann. The site was located in the townland of Dromin, Co. Louth. The excavation took place on 8–31 May 2006, with a team of ten people.
During monitoring the site was identified as a large burnt spread or fulacht fiadh. Between monitoring and excavation, the site was damaged by flooding and pipeline machine traffic and became two spreads on either side of the centre of the pipeline corridor. Machine activity had broken a field drainage pipe, causing some of the flooding.
The burnt spreads measured 5m by 5m and 8m by 6m and were 0.2m deep. Their actual size is unknown because both continued under the baulks at either side of the corridor. Medium to large pits were found under both of the spreads, which contained heat-affected stones, wood and charcoal. One pit appeared to have a stone setting or possible steps on one side. A possible stone-made stream crossing of unknown date was also uncovered. Eleven finds, including worked flint and other possible stone artefacts contained in the topsoil above the spreads, were recovered. A small amount of animal bone was also found. The artefacts and archive are stored in the ADS post-excavation facility in Kells. A stratigraphic report is due early in 2007.
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