County: Tipperary Site name: PARKSTOWN (Site AR17–20)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: TI047–072 Licence number: E002368
Author: David A. McCullough and Leigh Barker, for Valerie J. Keeley Ltd.
Site type: Cultivation ridges, Pit, Hearth, Kiln - corn-drying and Habitation site
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 615499m, N 652748m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.625744, -7.771075
Excavation of this site at Parkstown was undertaken in July and August 2006 in advance of the proposed M8/N8 Cullahill to Cashel road improvement scheme. The site is situated adjacent to a ploughed-out enclosure site, labelled ‘Carrigheen Hill’ on early OS maps, and north-west of a large ringfort labelled ‘Black Fort’ (TI047–077). Prior assessment and centreline test-trenching was carried out in 2005 (Excavations 2005, No. 1388, A027/010). This revealed two small burnt spreads, a post-hole and three pits. Subsequently a large area was stripped of topsoil.
Excavation revealed a number of widely distributed isolated pits and a regular pattern of cultivation furrows. Two probable sub-oval to pear-shaped corn-drying kilns were identified; six other shallow burnt pits might also have been kilns. A parallel pair of shallow ditches would appear to be a field boundary. Specialist analysis is ongoing and absolute dates are being sought from charcoal samples taken from the features. Several prehistoric lithics were also recovered from residual contexts.
Brehon House, Kilkenny Road, Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny
