2006:1894 - MARLHILL, Tipperary

Sites 150.2 and 150.3, located in the townland of Marlhill, in the parish of Knockgraffon, Co. Tipperary, were excavated along a section of the N8 Cashel to Mitchelstown road improvement scheme. Site 150.2 was first identified during testing carried out by Kara Ward in August 2005 (Excavations 2005, No. 1456, 05E0876), while site 150.3 was uncovered during monitoring associated with the construction phase of the road scheme in April 2006 (A035/001, E2279, Carrigane/Owen’s & Bigg’s-Lot, Co. Cork).

Site 150.2 was located in a large field of pasture that sloped gradually to the west and north. Following topsoil-stripping, the site consisted of a large east–west-oriented linear ditch and a small pit. The area investigated measured 35m (east–west) by 17m. The ditch measured 34m in length, 2m in width and a maximum of 0.64m in depth. It continued beyond the eastern and western limits of the CPO corridor. It had a U-shaped profile with concave sides and a concave base. A small subcircular pit was identified 1.92m to the south of the ditch. The pit measured 0.46m in length, 0.4m in width and 0.12m in depth and was filled by greyish-brown silty clay. The original function of this shallow cut and its relationship with the ditch remains uncertain. It seems likely that the large ditch identified at this site is the remains of a former field boundary. Post-excavation work for this site is ongoing.

Site 150.3 was located in a small field of pasture that sloped gradually to the west. Following topsoil-stripping, the site consisted of a subcircular enclosure that contained a number of features including a corn-drying kiln, a hearth and a drainage gully. A large keyhole-shaped kiln was also identified immediately to the south of the enclosure. The enclosure was defined by a penannular gully that measured 0.45–0.89m in width and 0.12–0.27m in depth. It enclosed a subcircular area that measured c. 16m east–west by 12m. A 3m-wide break in the gully at the north-eastern part of the enclosure possibly marked an entrance.

A heavily disturbed, partially stone-lined kiln was centrally placed within the enclosure defined by the gully. The kiln was oblong in shape and oriented north–south. The cut narrowed from 2m wide at its northern end to 1m at its southern end. Its overall length was 3.4m. The base of the kiln sloped gradually down from a minimum of 0.1m at its northern end to a maximum of 0.55m at its southern end. The southern half of the kiln was lined with roughly hewn limestone blocks that survived to a maximum of two courses in height. These stones were heat-scorched, as was the natural subsoil along the base and sides of this end of the kiln. It appears that the deeper southern end of the kiln acted as a fire bowl, while the shallower northern end was where the grain was dried, possibly over a drying rack. A copper alloy stick pin was recovered from the upper fill of this feature. A charcoal sample from this kiln gave a calibrated radiocarbon date of AD 855–990.

A second north–south-oriented kiln was identified immediately to the south of the penannular enclosure. This kiln was keyhole-shaped in plan and consisted of a linear flue that fed into a large bowl-shaped drying chamber. The southern end of the drying chamber was severely truncated by an old field boundary. The flue was 3m in length, 1.5m in width and 0.4m in depth, while the truncated bowl was 1m in length, 2.9m in width and 1m in depth. Prior to truncation, the drying bowl probably had an original diameter of 2.9m.The floor of the flue and drying bowl were fire-reddened, demonstrating in situ burning, while lenses of charcoal-rich deposits were identified within the drying chamber. Post-excavation work for this site is ongoing.

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