County: Westmeath Site name: Kilbeggan South
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A016/084; E3283
Author: Tim Coughlan, Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, 120B Greenpark Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow.
Site type: Series of isolated pits
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 633438m, N 734346m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.358270, -7.497675
Testing was carried out as part of an archaeological mitigation programme associated with the N6 Kilbeggan to Athlone dual carriageway. The site was identified during testing undertaken by the writer in July 2005 (A016/029). The site was excavated in April 2006. An excavation area measuring 20m by 45m was opened.
The site consisted of a series of isolated pit features along with evidence of later modern activity. Most of the features represented areas of burning in situ. It is unclear if all these features were associated with each other as they generally occurred as single isolated features. The size of the pit features varied in measurement between 0.98m and 3.3m long, 0.62–1.96m wide and 0.04–0.3m deep. While some of the features have been interpreted as possible charcoal clamps, others seem to be more likely to have functioned as hearths or kilns/furnaces. The site occurs in the vicinity of other sites of a similar nature comprising pit features of unknown date and function but containing evidence of in situ burning. The finds assemblage consisted of two incomplete and non-diagnostic iron objects, a knife blade and a nail.
This work was funded by Westmeath County Council and the National Roads Authority.
Editor’s note: Although excavated during 2006, the report on this site arrived too late for inclusion in the bulletin of that year.
