2007:843 - Mullamast, Kildare

This site was excavated as part of the N9/N10 Kilcullen to Waterford scheme, Phase 3: Kilcullen to Carlow. The site was identified during testing by IAC Ltd. At this time the site was identified as two pits; the first pit measured 0.4m by 0.27m by 0.2m in depth, the second pit was figure-of-eight in plan and measured 0.68m by 0.32m by 0.09m deep. An area measuring 400m2 was stripped of topsoil to accommodate excavation of the site. Work took place from 1 to 10 August 2007. The site was situated on a level platform on the summit of a low hill commanding extensive views to the south, particularly of the medieval village of Ballitore. Site E2860 (see No. 842 above) was situated 40m to the south-west.
In addition to the two features identified during the course of testing, the excavation work also identified a number of north-west/south-east furrows, a kiln, an additional pit, three post-holes and a large field boundary. Of the pits identified by IAC one proved to be a decayed stone while the other appears to be the remains of an oval waste pit with an average width of 0.36m. Damage to the west side of the feature gave the appearance of a figure-of-eight plan and elongated the pit to a maximum length of 1.19m.
The kiln was situated in the extreme north-east corner of the site just 0.3m from the edge of excavation. It was keyhole-shaped in plan measuring 0.88m in width (maximum) by 2.3m in length (maximum). The fire bowl was circular in plan with an average diameter of 0.88m and depth of 0.6m; it was truncated by a furrow. The fire bowl was highly oxidised with some oxidisation of the flue also identified.
The field boundary (025) was orientated north-east/south-west and was slightly curvilinear in plan, reflecting the contours of the underlying terrain. A 16.25m length of (025) was present within site E2861; however, it was also identified to the north-west and south-east in test-trenches excavated under licence E2860. The ditch had a U-shaped profile and measured 1.57m east–west by 0.66m in depth. It contained seven fills, which were generally organic in nature and of grey/brown hue indicative of water passage. This suggests that the function of the ditch was both for boundary identification and drainage. One fill contained quantities of charcoal, appearing to represent an episode of hedgerow burning. The boundary ditch is not illustrated on the first-edition OS maps, suggesting that this feature was infilled by the 18th century at the latest.
Two of the posts appear to be associated with ditch (025), possibly representing remnants of a fence line. The remaining features are random, affording no definitive interpretation.