County: Wexford Site name: Skunshin 1
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E004221
Author: Yvonne Whitty, for TVAS (Ireland) Ltd, Ahish, Ballinruan, Crusheen, Co. Clare.
Site type: Settlement site
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 694957m, N 642306m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.523838, -6.600669
Askunshin 1 was located on the proposed M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy scheme. The site was identified in a field of pasture that slopes away to the north and is bounded on all sides by a mature hedge.
Excavations revealed three stake-holes, eleven post-holes and three pits, one of which presented evidence of in situ burning.
A subcircular fire pit, measuring 0.7m by 0.66m and 0.18m deep, was identified at the centre of the site and contained soft black charcoal-rich silty clay with oxidised clay patches.
To the west of the fire pit was a 0.05m-thick deposit of firm black/brown silty clay which contained flecks of charcoal. This deposit, which measured 1.7m by 0.6m, was identified as waste material from the hearth.
Three circular stake-holes, 0.09m in diameter and 0.18m deep, were identified to the north-west of the fire pit. These stake-holes may have provided support for a suspension device for cooking over the fire pit.
A curvilinear cluster of seven post-holes covering a 3m by 2m area was identified at the north-west corner of the site and may have supported a structure. The circular post-holes varied in size, measuring 0.2–0.45m in diameter and 0.13–0.25m deep, and contained grey/brown clayey silt with charcoal flecks and evidence of packing stones.
A sherd of post-medieval pottery was found in the light-brown silty clay fill of a pit, which measured 1m by 0.3m by 0.13m deep and was located at the northern end of the site.
