County: Kilkenny Site name: AR104, Rathcash East
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A032/135; E3892
Author: Tim Coughlan, Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, 120B Greenpark Road, Bray, Wicklow.
Site type: Pits
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 659064m, N 654578m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.639203, -7.127328
This site was located within the N9/N10 Kilcullen to Waterford road scheme along Contract 2, Phase 4B, Knocktopher to Powerstown, in an area of raised land with views to the west, north and east. A pit (3.9m by 1.41m by 0.43m maximum depth) contained three fills and a large amount of poorly preserved animal bone, including antler. The southern side of the pit cut displayed in situ burning, suggesting that this may have been a cooking pit. A spread of material containing worked antler was located 9m to the east of the pit and 9m to the south a possible hearth containing cremated bone was also noted.
A second area of archaeology was located 8m south-west of the large pit and consisted of a circular feature (0.51m width by 0.12m depth) enclosing an area 6m in diameter, with openings on the north-west and south-east sides. It was truncated by two post-medieval field ditches. It is possible that this feature represents the remains of a prehistoric burial barrow, although no central interment was discovered. However, it was truncated by two post-medieval field ditches which passed directly through the centre of the feature and may have contributed to the destruction of such burial evidence.
It is not known if the two areas are associated; post-excavation analysis is ongoing.
