County: Kilkenny Site name: UA2, Rathduff Upper 3
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E003974
Author: Tim Coughlan, Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, 120B Greenpark Road, Bray, Wicklow.
Site type: Burnt mounds
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 651344m, N 642107m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.527905, -7.243317
This site was located within the N9/N10 Kilcullen to Waterford Scheme, Waterford to Powerstown Phase 4 – Knocktopher to Powerstown. The site consisted of a slightly horseshoe-shaped, burnt-mound deposit (98.2m2) which sealed a large rectangular trough, two pits and three possible pits. An isolated pit was situated south-west of the burnt mound. The trough (1.4m by 1.4m) contained charcoal-rich clay with heat-shattered stone, similar to the overlying burnt-mound material. It had no evidence to suggest that its base was lined. Two pits and one possible pit contained fill similar to the burnt-mound material, while the remaining pit and possible pits were filled as the result of natural silting. Their precise functions are unknown, although they were possibly used as water sumps.
