2007:1598 - Camlin 3, Tipperary

Testing along the route of the proposed N7 Castletown to Nenagh road improvement scheme identified a complex of archaeological features in and around an existing levelled enclosure, of which c. 40% lies within the road-take. Excavation began in August 2007 and will continue into 2008. The main features identified included: a ringfort with bank and ditch, an internal cemetery, slot-trenches, post- and stake-holes, pits and bowl furnaces; two round houses formed by slot-trenches and post-holes located c. 30m south-east of the ringfort; two corn-drying kilns located close to the round houses; and three other less substantial structures, possibly work-huts.
Approximately 100m south-west of the ringfort were three burnt mounds with associated pits, wells and wood-lined troughs. A subcircular structure formed by post-holes was identified under one of the burnt spreads. Approximately 150m east of the ringfort a subcircular enclosure, probably of Bronze Age date, was found. Several linear ditches, some possibly associated with the ringfort, were also examined.
Ringfort
The ringfort was situated on an elevated platform, with commanding views to the east, north-east and south-east. The remains of a levelled internal bank were found. A cemetery, from which 95 skeletons have so far been excavated, was located in the eastern quadrant of the ringfort. The skeletons included adult, juvenile and infant remains. All of the burials were orientated roughly east–west, with the head resting at the west. Most of these were simple inhumations, but several had partially stone-lined grave-cuts. One grave-cut had evidence of wood lining along both sides. Grave goods have included three iron knifes near the right hip of the skeletons. Several iron pins, possibly shroud-pins, have been found in the grave fills. Four blue-glass beads and one white bone bead were found in the grave fill of an infant. Other finds from within the ringfort include an iron swan-headed pin, a bronze stick-pin, a decorated bronze disc and a well-preserved iron knife.
Whilst early indications suggest an Early Christian date for the ringfort and cemetery, further scientific analysis will be used to provide accurate dating.
Bronze Age enclosure
This subcircular enclosure measured c. 25m in diameter and comprised a stone-lined slot-trench. Two stone-lined post-holes marked an entrance in the south-east. Within the enclosure a curvilinear structure, also formed by a stone-lined slot-trench, was located in the north-western quadrant. The structure measured c. 8m by 7m wide and had two stone-lined post-holes forming an entrance in the south-east. These post-holes were in line with four other stone-lined post-holes which may form a porch. Together these six post-holes formed two parallel lines of three post-holes, which were in line with the entrance posts to the enclosure. No diagnostic artefacts were found.
Burnt mounds, troughs and wells
Three individual burnt mounds were excavated. The largest spread was c. 45m by 37.5m and up to 1m deep. It overlay two large wells, one oval trough and several pits. The larger of the wells was circular in plan, c. 10m in diameter and c. 2m deep. Only a small amount of burnt-spread material was found in this feature, and peat filled the majority of the cut. The smaller well was sub-oval in plan. It measured c. 8m by 6m and c. 1.2m deep. Both wells appear to have been created to use underlying natural springs as water sources. The oval trough was located c. 1m north-west of the smaller well. This trough had numerous preserved wooden stakes around the base of the sides near the break of slope.
A second burnt spread measured c. 22m by 11m and c. 0.3m deep. It overlay one well, one trough and a structure. The well was oval in plan, c. 3m by 2.5m and 1.4m deep, and filled by bluish/grey gravel-rich silt with very frequent heat-fractured sandstone inclusions. The well was abutted on its northern edge by an oval trough 1.2m by 1m and 0.45m deep. Wooden planks lined the north and west edges of the trough. The eastern edge of the trough was truncated by a later drainage ditch. A sub-square structure was identified when the burnt spread was excavated. This structure was formed by a series of post-holes and slot-trenches, and measured c. 7.5m by 7m.
Whilst flint and chert debitage was found in these features, further analysis is required to provide scientific dating.