2010:764 - Frankfort 7, Wexford

Frankfort 7 was located on the proposed M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy scheme. The site contained three hearths, five pits, eight post-holes, four stake-holes and a modern field boundary.
The three hearths identified were defined by in situ burning. One of the hearths was circular, measured 1m in diameter and contained dark-brown/black silty clay, along with traces of burnt bone and flecks of charcoal. Four stake-holes, two at the north-west side and two on the south-east side, were identified within 0.5m of this hearth and may have supported a spit. A shallow deposit of silty material, also located within 0.5m of the hearth, yielded two pieces of flint.
A more subcircular hearth, which measured 1m by 0.9m, contained a similar fill to the circular hearth but had no associated features.
The third hearth was bowl-shaped and provided evidence of in situ burning, over which lay a deposit of charcoal-rich material. The hearth measured 1.26m by 0.88m, was up to 0.15m deep and was abutted at its southern edge by a small pit which contained large stones and a piece of struck flint.
A large subcircular waste pit, measuring 1.6m by 1.4m and 0.4m deep, also produced evidence of oxidised and charcoal-rich layers of material containing burnt bone, which may be interpreted as waste material from the hearths.
Three sherds of prehistoric pottery were found in the charcoal-flecked, dark-brown silty clay fill of another pit. This pit, which measured 0.44m by 0.23m, was subcircular in plan and had a bowl-shaped profile reaching a maximum depth of 0.09m.
An old field boundary was exposed to a length of 12m and width of 1.3m, crossing the north-eastern corner of the site.
Frankfort 7 excavations produced a total of nine finds: three prehistoric pottery sherds and six flint pieces.