County: Offaly Site name: Mucklagh 2
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E002844
Author: Linda Hegarty, Headland Archaeology Ltd, Unit 1, Wallingstown Business Park, Little Island, Cork.
Site type: Cremation and possible charcoal-production pits
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 630099m, N 722380m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.250930, -7.548974
This site was excavated on behalf of Offaly County Council as part of the advance archaeological works contract for the N52 Tullamore bypass. The site was located c. 3.5km south-west of Tullamore, within an open pasture field. The site, which was orientated north-east/south-west, had a gradual slope to the north-east and to the south-west, with a rise along the centre.
Excavation revealed the remains of five possible charcoal-production pits, three of which were found within 1.5m of each other at the south-east corner of the site. All pits contained a thin layer of charcoal above patchy scorched clay.
A cremation pit was identified north of the centre of the site. This measured 0.8m north-west/south-east by 0.6m and was 0.19m deep. Cremated bone was found within a dark-brown silty clay matrix with frequent inclusions of charcoal.
A linear feature was located between the cremation pit and the group of three possible productions pits. This feature did not appear to relate to the other features on site. A large modern nail was recovered from its fill.
