County: Kilkenny Site name: JORDANSTOWN (AR121)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A032/122; E3758
Author: Przemyslaw Wierzbicki, Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd.
Site type: Burnt mound
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 665036m, N 659268m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.680668, -7.038185
This site was located within the N9/N10 Kilcullen to Waterford road scheme along Contract 2, Phase 4B, Knocktopher to Powerstown and was excavated from 24–31 October and 12–19 December 2007. Two burnt-stone spreads spaced 150m apart were found near the top of gently rising fields, on both sides of Jordanstown–Kellymount townland border, and the site was divided into two.
Area A was located on slightly raised terrain beside a natural depression. The depression, partly silted up, was probably deep enough in the past to serve as a water reservoir for burnt-mound activity, the remains of which were found on its north-west edge and further in the same direction. A grey deposit (4m by 3.6m by 0.3m) positioned on the depression’s edge consisted of fire-cracked and unburnt stones (c. 50% of the total volume of the deposit) and sandy silt. A shallow oblong-shaped trough (2m by 1.5m by 0.2m) was filled with many fire-cracked stones (?sandstone) and sandy silt with much charcoal. Nine stake-holes were cut through the base and sides of the trough. A pair of stake-holes was located beside each of the trough’s corners with an additional third stake-hole in the north-east corner. Another shallow (0.15m), irregular deposit of burnt-mound material (6.7m by 5.2m) was located further north-east of the pit and consisted of moderate amounts of fire-cracked stones (limestone, sandstone) and clayey sand.
Area B contained four pits (1.02–1.48m by 0.95–1.16m by c. 0.2m) with fire-cracked stones in their fills and a deposit of similar material.
120B Greenpark Road, Bray, Wicklow
