County: Kildare Site name: MOONE
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E002968
Author: Red Tobin, Headland Archaeology Ltd.
Site type: Burnt mound and Field system
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 677000m, N 693120m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.983288, -6.853309
This site was excavated as part of the N9/N10 Kilcullen to Waterford scheme, Phase 3: Kilcullen to Carlow. Centreline trenching (CRDS 2006) revealed the severely truncated remains of a possible curvilinear ditch and four pits filled with burnt-mound material.
Excavations on this site began on 3 October 2007. Initial cleaning revealed the truncated remains of three shallow pits and a narrow north–south-oriented linear feature all filled with burnt-mound material within a 10m area. An east–west-oriented ditch of possible post-medieval date extended across the northern end of the site. Small amounts of animal bone and modern pottery were recovered from the fills of this ditch. A possible field drain extended 10.1m west from the western edge of a backfilled pond that extended east beyond the limit of excavation. The pond was tested to a depth of 4.8m, whereupon natural subsoil was located. A linear feature that branched into two terminals extended east into the main area of archaeological activity from the western side of the site. This ditch, which was Y-shaped in plan, measured 8.5m in length.
The shallow pits may represent the residual remains of burnt-mound activity or burnt-stone technology in the immediate area.
Wallingstown Business Park, Little Island, Cork
