2007:1643 - Oxpark and Townsfields, Cloughjordan, Tipperary

An excavation was carried out between 28 May and 1 June on a development site of the proposed Sustainable Community Development, The Village, Cloughjordan, Co. Tipperary, for Sustainable Projects Ireland Ltd.
Site 6 was noted during monitoring as a burnt spread measuring c. 17m (north–south) by 17m, which was deposited over undulating natural. It had been truncated in the south-western corner by a post-medieval drain. The drain ran into a square sump which had caused a high degree of disturbance to the contexts within the burnt spread. There was also a red-brick deposit which may have been associated with the post-medieval activity in this area. A second, north-west/south-east-orientated, post-medieval furrow or drain also truncated the spread. This was of a similar appearance and dimensions to other linear features visible across the development site and was probably related to Cloughjordan House (TN016–001), a 17th-century house which was constructed to incorporate the remains of the original extant tower-house into its fabric. This is located to the south-east of the development site.
Excavation of the burnt spread revealed a large oval pit possibly used for water storage, and a subrectangular trough with eight associated stake-holes. A figure-of-eight-shaped feature which contained small fragments of charcoal at its base was located in the eastern end of Site 6. This had been truncated by a shallow and short linear feature, which was probably a post-medieval furrow. A depression filled with burnt-mound material was also revealed to the west of these features.
A number of fills were sampled for charcoal analysis and radiocarbon dating. Alder, ash, wild/bird cherry, hazel, oak and pomaceous fruitwood were identified and hazel appeared to be dominant. The identifications suggested that it is likely that some form of wetland area was located close to the site, such as a stream or possibly damp carr woodland, as alder needs a good source of water. It also suggested that the area around the site was relatively open, where the pomaceous fruitwood type and hazel could grow. Larger canopy trees were also probably in the area, such as oak and ash. Radiocarbon dating of a fill from the trough dated the charcoal to 926–812 cal bc (2728630; uba-8156), placing it in the Late Bronze Age.
Site 8 was mistakenly removed by heavy machinery during intensive construction work. However, details of the site were recorded during the monitoring phase. Site 8 was a pit which was roughly circular in shape measuring 1.5m (north–south) by 1.4m. An irregularly shaped spread of burnt stone was located 1m to the west of the feature; it was 1.8m long (east–west) and 1.4m wide.
The sites discussed above cannot be viewed in isolation; there are a number of burnt spreads and mounds within this site, and together they appear to signify some type of communal and continuous prehistoric activity across the site. The final report has not been prepared yet and it will be in compiling this that the author may come to a conclusion about the function of the site and its features.