County: Wicklow Site name: Coolbeg
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A022/073; E3259
Author: Red Tobin, 35 Brook Meadow, Avoca, Co. Wicklow for Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd.
Site type: Prehistoric
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 727222m, N 690932m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.954074, -6.106614
This excavation was carried out on behalf of Wicklow County Council and the National Roads Authority in advance of the construction of the N11 Rathnew to Arklow road improvement scheme. Testing at the site by Fintan Walsh in July 2005 (A022/073) revealed that it consisted of two areas (A and B) of small pits, spreads and post-holes.
Area A consisted of four or five pits/post-holes, a possible slot-trench and an irregular pit/spread. The slot was 0.2m deep and was filled with a charcoal-rich clay and burnt clay. These features may represent the remains of a structure measuring c. 4.5m north–south by 3m.
Area B was located 13m north of Area A and consisted of four pits/post-holes. Each pit/post-hole was c. 0.3m diameter and contained charcoal-rich fills. These features are probably associated with the structure in Area A. Three further pits were in close proximity forming a line of pits/post-holes orientated roughly 3.5m north–south; they were located c. 14m to the east of this cluster of features. The site was interpreted as being structural in nature, possibly representing a prehistoric structure Bronze Age in date.
Subsequent excavation revealed multiple contexts spread over two distinct areas of the site. The two areas consisted of concentrations of features in the north-west portion of the site and in the southern portion of the site. A scatter of isolated features was identified and excavated in the area between. Sherds of coarse pottery and struck flint flakes were recovered from some contexts. The pottery is likely to date to the Bronze Age, while the lithics can broadly be classified as generic Neolithic/Bronze Age material. No obvious structures were identified during excavation. However, an isolated cereal-drying kiln was identified. The kiln is of the ‘figure-of-eight’ plan variety. Within its fill were found two fragments of what appears to be a furnace bottom composed of iron slag. Seeds were identified within the fill of the kiln.
Editor’s note: Although excavated during 2006, the report on this site arrived too late for inclusion in the bulletin of that year.
