County: Galway Site name: Curtaun 1 and 2
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A044; E3721
Author: Shane Delaney, IAC Ltd, 120B Greenpark Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow.
Site type: Burnt mound and kilns
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 542033m, N 695405m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.006220, -8.863696
During Phase 1 test excavations along the route of the N18 Gort to Crusheen road scheme, a burnt spread and three possible pits/kilns were identified in the environs of a ringfort (GA128–043). The sites were situated below the summit of an east-facing ridge overlooking bog land to the east and south-east. The two sites were treated as a single site, as they were situated within the same townland and were located less than 100m apart.
The remains of three kilns were found to the south-east of the ringfort. The earliest of the kilns measured 4.6m north-west/south-east by 1.45m by 1.2m deep. The second measured 5.5m north–south by 1.1m by 0.5m deep and the most recent 6.9m north-west/south-east by 3.2m by 1m deep. All three had been stone lined and showed internal signs for in situ burning. The lining of the later kiln was still in good condition, with an intact chamber and partly intact flue. All finds within the fills of the kilns were post-medieval in date, although the fills represent the later backfilling of the features. Identified immediately to the west of the kilns were the foundation trenches for a sequence of semicircular structures which appeared to have acted as windbreaks or alternatively a superstructure to the kilns. The latest kiln was truncated by one of six spade-cut furrows that ran across the site at right angles to the slope.
Approximately 15m to the east of the kilns was the remains of a heavily truncated burnt mound under which was located a large rectangular pit measuring 2.45m east–west by 1.9m by 0.4m deep. The pit was rectangular in plan, with a stake-hole located in each corner and three further stake-holes around the outside. This appears to be the remains of a prehistoric burnt mound.
Ninety metres to the south-east another burnt spread, measuring 10m east–west by 9m by 0.16m deep, was excavated. Five pits were found under or around the spread, of which four were part-filled with heat-affected stone. The remaining pit was filled with peat. This may have acted as a shallow well, while the four pits containing heat-shattered stone were used for some industrial function.
