2007:1679 - GORTYBRIGANE, Tipperary

Archaeological investigation in advance of the N7 Nenagh to Limerick high-quality dual carriageway road project at E2488 Gortybrigane took place between October and December 2006. Excavations comprised five areas.

A026/048
A number of modern furrows and a modern field boundary (part of which is still extant) were identified on this site but no features of archaeological significance were uncovered.

A026/049
This site was located between a very steep north-east-facing slope and a waterlogged boggy area. A fulacht fiadh mound of heat-shattered stone and charcoal measuring 12m (north–south) by 8m and 0.39m deep was uncovered on this site. It was eroded by a stream on the eastern side. Part of the mound extended outside the CPO. No trough was identified within the limits of the excavation. Two shallow spreads of burnt-mound material related to the main mound were also identified. Two further fulachta fiadh, which were originally included in this ministerial direction number (A026/049 (ii) and (iii)), were inaccessible at the time E2488 was being excavated. They were subsequently excavated under E3428 (see No. 1680, Excavations 2007) by Bruce Sutton of Aegis Archaeology Ltd.

A026/050
An isolated shallow spread of heat-shattered stone and charcoal was identified on this site. It measured 2.5m long (north-west/south-east) by 1.15m wide and 0.1m deep. No associated trough was identified.

A026/053
No features of archaeological significance were identified on this site. A network of modern drains was noted.

A026/054
Part of a large enclosure was identified and excavated on this site. At present it is thought that the site dates to the early medieval period but further post-excavation work should provide a more accurate time-frame. The enclosure was situated on the summit of a hill and commanded an extensive view to the north over Lough Derg and the River Shannon. It is estimated that just over half the site was exposed within the CPO area; however, geophysical investigations carried out in the adjoining field revealed the extent of the unexcavated portion. The enclosed area, which measured c. 67m across, was defined by a large curvilinear ditch. The ditch itself measured between 1.85m and 3.9m wide and had an average depth of 1.3m. At present there is no clear evidence for the presence of a bank but further interpretation of the geophysical investigations may be useful in this regard.

The most notable feature of this enclosure was the entrance. A causewayed entrance was identified on the north-east side. At least two phases of ditch cutting were identified on either side of the entrance. The earlier phase involved the ditch on either side of the causeway turning at an almost 90° angle towards the interior of the enclosure, resulting in the entrance causeway being flanked by portions of the ditch. This resulted in the entrance ‘passage’ being between 5m and 7m wide (north-west/south-east) and extending 8m into the enclosure. The later ditch recut did not reopen the portions of ditch that flanked the entrance but narrowed the causeway slightly, creating a more typical causewayed entrance. The recut extended a maximum of 30m from either terminal. The only artefacts recovered from the ditch fills were part of a rotary quern (complete with metal spindle), two possible hammerstones and a stone disc (0.1m diam. by 0.01m thick).

The interior of the enclosure has been heavily truncated by ploughing but the remains of a number of features could be identified. Evidence for grain processing was identified on the south-eastern side of the enclosure in the form of two unlined corn-drying kilns. One of these was keyhole-shaped in plan and measured 2.29m long by 1.33m wide and 0.33m deep. A number of stake-holes were found in the base of the chamber, suggesting a structure was in place. Three possible whetstones were recovered from the fill of this kiln. The second kiln was dumbbell-shaped in plan and measured 2.6m long by 1.16m wide and 0.4m deep. The bases of both features were oxidised and the fills contained charcoal and grain. A third kiln was located nearer the centre of the enclosure. It was also dumbbell-shaped in plan and it measured 2.5m long by 1.32m wide. A depression within the north-west of the feature was interpreted as the kiln bowl, while a smaller depression in the south-east end seemed to have been the fire spot.

Evidence for metalworking was concentrated in the north-west of the enclosure. The presence of several post- and stake-holes in this area suggests the existence of one or more structures. There were also a number of pits which contained slag and other metalworking waste material; for example, a subrectangular pit which measured 0.9m (north-east/south-west) by 1.4m and 0.27m deep. The base of the feature was oxidised and the fill consisted of charcoal and iron slag. Many of the features in this area appeared to have been truncated by ploughing.

Towards the centre of the enclosure there were a number of shallow pits and irregular features but no structures could be identified. Part of a polished stone axe was found on the surface in this area.

A dense concentration of post- and stake-holes within a roughly rectangular area was identified south-west of the entrance. At least one structure can be identified in this area; it consisted of a row of ten post-holes and a roughly parallel row of ten stake-holes. Further post-excavation work will allow a detailed interpretation of this area.

Editor’s note: Although excavated during 2006, the report on this site arrived too late for inclusion in the bulletin of that year.