2010:754 - Dunsinane 5, Wexford

Dunsinane 5 was located on the proposed M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy scheme. The excavation revealed a possible charcoal production pit, ditch and post-holes.
The charcoal-production pit was rectangular in shape, measured 4.73m by 0.76m and was 0.18m deep with steeply sloping sides and a flat base. The primary deposit was a compact orange/brown silty clay which appeared to represent a layer of oxidised boulder clay on the base of the pit. Over this oxidised layer was a loose rich layer of black charcoal. The upper deposit consisted of a loose pink/red oxidised silty sand with charcoal flecks and pebbles.
Two other pits were recorded on-site. A sub-oval pit measured 0.76m by 0.56m and was 0.34m deep with gradual sloping sides and a rounded base. The primary fill consisted of a loose grey/yellow coarse sand with occasional pebbles and charcoal flecks. The upper deposit was a loose orange/brown clayey silt with occasional charcoal flecks and pebbles. This pit truncated a post-hole. The second pit was oval and measured 0.64m by 0.44m and was 0.18m deep with concave sides and a rounded base. The pit was filled by a loose pink/yellow silty sand with occasional pebbles and charcoal flecks.
Six post-holes were recorded across the site measuring 0.2–0.3m in diameter and 0.11–0.37m deep. Four post-holes were in close proximity to each other in the south-east corner of the site. The post-holes varied in shape and size but were filled by a common deposit consisting of a loose grey/brown silty sand.
A shallow modern field ditch was also recorded.
Given the high temperatures produced in the rectangular pit exhibited through the oxidised clay and the layer of charcoal in the base, this feature is interpreted as an example of a charcoal-production pit. Charcoal was an important product, especially for iron-working or other industrial processes. The dating of these pits can vary considerably, from the Iron Age to the medieval period.