County: Clare Site name: KILCORNEY
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 09E0243
Author: References Grant, C. 2010 Kilcorney Archaeological Project, The Other Clare Vol. 34, Shannon. Jones, C. 2004 The Burren and the Aran Islands: explor
Site type: Possible house site
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 521858m, N 699289m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.038560, -9.165176
This was a small-scale exploratory excavation undertaken for research purposes. The remains of a stone structure lie adjacent to a cairn and within an enclosure. The enclosure is located on the limestone plateau south of Kilcorney valley on the Burren in Co. Clare, and is part of a wider settlement area being investigated as part of the Kilcorney Archaeological Project (Grant 2010). The enclosure is currently undated but has features comparable to prehistoric settlement enclosures found elsewhere on the Burren (Jones 2004).
The stone structure was identified as the remains of a possible house site relating to use of the enclosure. The excavation in 2009 had three main aims. The first was to identify and record the structural components of the feature, the second was to retrieve evidence of a date for the structure, and the third was to assess a possible relationship to prehistoric activity identified during excavation by the writer at the adjacent cairn (Excavations 2003, AD11, 02E1711 ext.)
A cutting of 1m2 was excavated on the interior of the stone feature. The stone feature consisted of an upright flagstone set on its long edge and formed the exterior face of the feature. On the interior were a series of smaller packing stones and a possible posthole. A preliminary interpretation is that this is a stone foundation feature that probably supported a timber superstructure. The small-scale nature of the excavation did not allow for a classification of the built structure. Material evidence was recovered in the form of a small number of lithics and animal bone. The lithics consist mainly of chert pieces, including debitage. Identifiable pieces, including a worked flake and scrapers, are consistent with Early Bronze Age bi-polar technology (M. O’Hare, pers. comm.).
Early Bronze Age lithics (M. O’Hare, pers. comm.) were also recovered during excavation of the adjacent cairn in 2003, indicating a probable link between these two areas of activity. It is hoped that a further season of excavation will take place and will focus on dating the enclosure at this site. Funding for this excavation was provided by the Burren Research and Education Centre.
