2006:1391 - RATHROAL, Louth

The site at Rathroal, Co. Louth, was uncovered at Road Crossing 37B for the north–south gas pipeline project. The excavation area was a greenfield site at the base of two small hills and extended partially into the basal slope of the western hill. The remains of a river were uncovered during excavation and this had run roughly north to south along the eastern side of the site. It appeared to have been culverted into the existent post-medieval field boundaries prior to 1907, when the culverted line was depicted on the third-edition OS map.

The site had a multi-layered stratigraphy, mainly due to recurrent hillwash from the west and alluvium from the east. Archaeological material was uncovered underneath three layers of topsoil (post-medieval to modern) and consisted of a series of burnt spreads or fulachta fiadh sites covering a pipeline span of 105m. The archaeology was examined from south to north and divided into four 25m segments based on the local grid utilised during excavation.

A medium-sized burnt spread lay between 100m and 125m to the north. This had associated spreads constituting its ploughed-out, washed-out and leached-out remains. Six pits, including a large oval hearth pit, were excavated in the area and most of these underlay the burnt spread.

Layers of hillwash underlay significant burnt-spread material between 125m and 150m north. The largest burnt spread had related underlying and overlying spreads (ploughed-out and washed-out material amongst them) occasionally interleaved with layers of hillwash. Upon its removal, an underlying burnt spread was found to have a roughly horseshoe-shaped distribution. Twenty-six cut features were excavated, the majority underlying the primary burnt-spread material, and these comprised thirteen pits, five troughs, three linear and five support features. Two phases of troughs were identified in this area and these were represented by two large oval troughs pre-dating two rectangular troughs (one plank-lined). A curvilinear feature appeared to be contemporary with the oval troughs and may have partially enclosed them.

A series of small to medium-sized burnt spreads were uncovered between 150m and 175m north. Many of these were interleaved with redeposited natural and hillwash. Ploughed-out spread material overlay them all. Thirteen cut features were excavated in the area and these comprised seven troughs, four pits, two linear features and one stake-hole. The majority of features underlay the burnt spreads and activity was centred on four large circular troughs. The three additional troughs were of similar form and appeared to be directly related, along with two large subcircular pits. The two linear features may have represented the remains of an east–west-orientated ditch.

Between 175m and 205m north considerable burnt-spread material was represented, along with associated ploughed-out spread material and alluvial layers. An extensive series of metalled surfaces underlay the burnt spreads and covered a combined area of more than 29m north–south, continuing beyond the limit of excavation to the west and north. The majority of cut features lay beneath the metalling and, as significant stretches of these surfaces were preserved in situ, much additional archaeology may lie concealed beneath it. Thirty-eight features were excavated and these comprised five troughs, nine pits, 32 stake-holes and two ‘linking channels’. A sherd of possible Beaker pottery was retrieved from the basal fill of a large rectangular trough in the southern extent of the area. This trough had stake-holes in each corner of the base, suggesting an organic lining may have been held in place. Immediately north-west, a prehistoric flint blade was found within a possible pit. Four large oval and subcircular troughs lay in the central part of the area. Two large subcircular pits were associated with one of the troughs and adjoined by ‘linking channels’, suggesting a possible crude water-filtering system. Seventeen stake-holes were associated with this group of features.

All of the archaeological areas continued beyond the western limit of excavation and it can be assumed that extensive additional archaeology lies outside the excavation area. Layers of alluvium interleaved between features are easily attributed to riverine flooding. A certain amount of hillwash can be explained by natural erosion of the adjacent hill, but extensive layers of this material at early stratigraphic levels were clearly derived from natural subsoil (though containing archaeological inclusions), suggesting that large-scale groundworks may have been undertaken during antiquity on the hill. It is likely that the hill was a focus of significant archaeological activity.

Although clear stratigraphy defined different major periods of activity in the location, in relation to the burnt-spread material no clear-cut phasing could be applied. Although two phases of troughs were identified in one part of the site, it is not possible to apply the same model to all the troughs, as the stratigraphic evidence is not there to support it. Notable at the (possible) early Bronze Age level was the lack of significant layers of alluvium or hillwash, hinting that the fulachta fiadh activity was broadly contemporary and may have been continuous over a time period insufficient for extensive soil layers to form between features. The large-scale metalled surfaces also suggest continuity of activity and an adequately sizeable population, which may indicate nearby occupation.

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