County: Wexford Site name: Frankfort 3
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E004183
Author: Bruce Sutton, for TVAS (Ireland) Ltd, Ahish, Ballinruan, Crusheen, Co. Clare.
Site type: Metalworking area
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 710935m, N 654756m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.632679, -6.361147
Frankfort 3 was located on the proposed M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy scheme. The site was discovered in an undulating field of grassland which had recently been cut for silage. The field is on the apex of a hill which slopes down to the south-east and north-east.
Frankfort 3 would appear to be the remains of a small-scale temporary metalworking site. Excavation revealed evidence of a possible iron-production pit with associated structural features and charcoal-rich spreads.
An oval pit, which measured 0.85m by 0.65m and had a maximum depth of 0.18m, is believed to have been used in the manufacturing of iron. The bowl-shaped pit had a slightly rounded base. Two stake-holes were identified at the base of the production pit. The production pit was filled with very soft black silt with abundant charcoal and slag. Deposits of black charcoal-rich silty sandy material, which contained heat-affected stone, burnt clay and slag, were recorded within the immediate area of the production pit. It is possible that these deposits were dumped waste material from the pit.
Surrounding the production pit, a cluster of stake- and post-holes is believed to have formed an ephemeral structure such as a shelter or a windbreak.
