County: Wexford Site name: Drumgold 3
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E004198
Author: Derek Gallagher, for TVAS (Ireland) Ltd, Ahish, Ballinruan, Crusheen, Co. Clare.
Site type: Cremation burial-pits, post-holes, stake-holes, pits, kiln
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 699892m, N 638728m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.490813, -6.529045
Drumgold 3 was located on the proposed M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy scheme in a pasture field. Domestic and funerary activity was recorded, at least some of which is prehistoric in date.
Cremation burials
Two shallow cremation burial-pits were recorded. Both were subcircular with gradual sides and a concave base. The first measured 0.59m by 0.58m and was 0.09m deep with the second 0.45m by 0.43m and 0.05m deep. They both contained similar deposits of black/brown silty sand with burnt bone and charcoal flecks.
Pits/kiln
Three connected pits may have functioned as a kiln. The first was circular with a diameter of 0.8m and depth of 0.37m. It contained four deposits of varying colour of silty sand with charcoal and small stones. This pit truncated an earlier one, which was circular with a flat base and measured 0.93m in diameter and 0.35m deep. It contained three deposits, with the primary fill consisting of a grey/black silty sand with 20% charcoal and 70% small to medium-sized stones. Over this was a red/brown sandy silt and a brown/black sandy silt. Truncating this second pit on its north side was a sub-oval pit that measured 0.77m by 0.77m and 0.38m deep. It had steep sides and an uneven base and contained a compact red/brown sandy silt with charcoal and small angular stone inclusions.
Hearth
An oval hearth with gradual sloping sides and a flat base measured 1.64m by 0.6m and was 0.16m deep, with a lower fill of a compact black silty sand which was rich in charcoal. Over this was a soft dark-brown sandy silt with occasional charcoal inclusions.
Post-holes, stake-holes and pits
Ten post-holes across the site did not form any particular structure. These features were circular with steep sides and concave bases. Their dimensions varied from 0.17m x 0.15m x 0.26m to 0.46m x 0.26m x 0.22m. Approximately 44 stake-holes were identified, with diameters of 0.1m and maximum depths of 0.4m. Approximately 37 pits were excavated across the site of varying shapes and sizes. A large amount of prehistoric pottery and flint were recorded from these pits.
