2007:1007 - AR147, Rathgarvan/Clifden, Kilkenny

This site was located within the N9/N10 Kilcullen to Waterford road scheme along Contract 2, Phase 4B, Knocktopher to Powerstown, on flat land under pasture beside high-voltage electric lines. Due to safety reasons only the southern part of the site, away from the electric lines, was excavated. A heavily ploughed-out burnt-mound deposit (c. 13m diameter by 0.3m depth) sealed an irregular, undisturbed deposit of fire-cracked stones with blackened silty sand and frequent charcoal inclusions, which contained a small sandstone rubbing or hammerstone. This undisturbed burnt material also filled several irregular depressions and pits. With the exception of a few small springs, there were no visible water sources in the vicinity and it is likely that one of these, most likely the oval-shaped pit with steep sides (2.9m by 2.1m by 1.02m deep), represented a waterhole. This pit was in a central location with eight pits/possible pits clustering around it; they were at most half the size of the waterhole and none could be compared to the classic rectangular trough/pit feature found at burnt mound/fulachta fiadh sites.