2007:1648 - Cooleen, Tipperary

This site was excavated in advance of the N7 Nenagh to Limerick road scheme at Chainage 10730 to 10870. Excavations were carried out between 26 March and 20 April 2007. The site was located north-east of sites E2319 (pit and stake-holes, No. 1646 above) and E2316 (hearth, pit and post-hole, No. 1647 above). The new N7 traverses a gently undulating landscape of lowland pasture broken only by a large area of peat basin straddling the border between Limerick and Tipperary. The region is overlooked by the Silvermines Mountains to the east and the Arra Mountains to the north and west. Specifically, the site was located on a gentle slope with impressive views over the surrounding countryside, particularly of the Silvermines to the north-east. The site covered an area of 5398m2.
A total of 129 cut features and 182 deposits were recorded. The cuts included twelve linear features (28 slots), three small curvilinear features, c. 60 pits, 28 post-holes and ten stake-holes.
Twelve linear features crossed the site. Some were aligned with field boundaries beyond the CPO and are probably post-medieval in date. Others may be older as they appear to respect the archaeological features.
Two possible structures comprising arrangements of post-holes were excavated at the northern end of the site. Four post-holes made up the northern sub-square arrangement (1.5m by 1.5m). A sub-oval or U-shaped arrangement (5m by 3–4m) of nine post-holes and a small gully-like feature was located 3m to the west. A cluster of five possible pits and a gully-like feature was excavated east of the sub-square post-hole structure
Most of the 60 pits were located in the northern half of the site. A variety of shapes and contents were recorded. A wide range of finds was recovered, giving some clues as to which pits may be contemporary. The more interesting pits were those containing pottery or quernstones in the northern half of the site and the kiln, located in the southern half of the site.
Four irregularly shaped pits contained saddle querns and fragments of same, along with other stone finds. These ‘quern’ pits measured 0.6–3.7m by 0.39–2m and were 0.18–0.45m deep. Four irregularly shaped pits, located between the post-hole structures and the quern pits, contained large amounts of pottery sherds of possible prehistoric date. Other finds from these ‘pottery’ pits included flint and other stone objects. The dimensions of these pits were 1.7–3.68m by 1.55–1.8m and they were 0.2–0.4m deep. A small oval-shaped pit located nearby contained no pottery. Six irregularly shaped intercutting pits and a post-hole were excavated c. 10m to the south-west. One of these pits produced pottery sherds which were much thinner and finer than those already described.
Two pits, located at the eastern limit of the site, were disturbed by post-medieval field boundaries. A cluster of two pits (one containing slag) and two stake-holes were located between the ‘pottery’ and ‘quern’ pits. Immediately north of the southern quern pit was an L-shaped alignment of three pits, four post-holes and six stake-holes. One of these pits contained pottery and stone objects. A collection of two pits (one containing slag) and a post-hole or pit was located between two narrow linear features which cross the centre of the site. An isolated post-hole was also located in this area. South of the narrow linear features was another collection of features: four pits, a post-hole and two stake-holes. Six isolated pits were excavated in the northern half of the site. One of these pits, located between the ‘pottery’ and ‘quern’ pits, produced pottery and bone.
The pits, post- and stake-holes located close to the ‘quern’ and ‘pottery’ pits may or may not be associated with quern or pottery production/use. It is worth noting that for the most part the quern pits contained no pottery and vice versa. Only one pit broke this pattern. Located at the eastern edge of the site not far from the quern pits, it contained a quern and possible rubbing stone as well as pottery sherds. Two pits produced slag finds. These ‘slag’ pits have produced no other finds to date.
A north-east to south-west-aligned kiln was located in the southern half of the site at some distance from the main area of activity. The kiln was keyhole-shaped, measured 5.05m by 1.76m and was 0.62m deep. Bone fragments and a possible whetstone were retrieved from its upper levels. An oval pit located directly north-east may originally have formed part of an overall kiln structure. Two isolated pits were located north-west of the kiln. A cluster of two pits and a post-hole were located to the south-west of these isolated pits. A north to south alignment of four subcircular/sub-oval pits was excavated further south. A final cluster, comprising a small pit and possible curving gully, was noted to the south of this alignment. Apart from the kiln, no finds were recovered from any of the features in the southern half of the site.
This site has produced 58 finds to date. They include: clay tobacco-pipe fragments; post-medieval and modern pottery; glass; bone; a large quantity of probable prehistoric pottery sherds, comprising at least two different pottery types (one chunky with large inclusions, the other finer with ‘biscuit-like’ composition), including some fragments which may form an entire vessel when conserved; slag; lithics, including four pieces of worked chert and three flint cores, some of which were found in association with pottery sherds; seven quernstones, comprising saddle querns and fragments of same; four whetstones and whetstone fragments; and twelve other stone objects, including possible grinding/rubbing stones/
hammerstones, a highly polished stone and a perfectly rounded stone ‘ball’. The number of finds is expected to increase once all individual pottery sherds, fragments of stone objects, etc., have been catalogued.