2011:305 - CAMP 1, Kerry

Excavations were undertaken at Camp 1 on behalf of Kerry County Council as part of Stage (iii) of the Archaeological Services Contract prior to the commencement of construction of the N22 Tralee Bypass/Tralee to Bealagrellagh, which extends from Lissatanvally townland to Flemby townland.
Excavation revealed evidence for two phases of activity (Phases I and II). The site was divided into two areas, Areas 1 and 2.

Area 1
Area 1 was located in the western part of the site and measured 34m (north–south) by 31m.
Only evidence for the first phase was present within Area 1 and consisted of a large burnt mound (Mound A), only part of which was located within the CPO. Another smaller mound (Mound B) was located to the south-east of Mound A and had been partially truncated by a modern drainage ditch.
Mound A was irregular in shape, measuring 9.65m north–south by 10.7m and rising to a height of 0.27m. Sealed beneath the mound were two troughs, one cut into the other. The earliest trough appeared to be subrectangular in shape, though its northern portion went under the northern edge of the CPO. It measured 2.25m (east–west) by 1.4m and 0.5m deep and contained two fills. A possible hearth was identified on the south-eastern side.
The later trough, cut into the middle of the earlier one, measured 1.3m by 1.1m and had a maximum depth of 0.27m. It contained two fills and what appeared to be a rough wood lining. The lower fill consisted of compact black-grey silty clay containing frequent inclusions of charcoal and burnt stone. The upper fill consisted of a compact light grey silty clay.
Overlying the troughs, the mound was made up of three silty clay layers which contained frequent inclusions of charcoal and burnt stone.
Mound B consisted of one layer, which was composed of black clayey silt and contained frequent inclusions of charcoal and burnt stone. This burnt spread had a suboval shape in plan. The mound measured 6m north–south by 5.5m and rose to a maximum height of 0.2m.

Area 2
Area 2 was located in the eastern part of the site and was separated from Area 1 to the west by a modern drainage ditch. It extended over an area measuring 34m (north–south) by 67m.
The Phase I features consisted of a small pit with an associated burnt stone spread and a large burnt mound with an associated trough and pits. These features were located in the southern and eastern parts of the site.
The first pit was oval, measuring 0.93m by 0.63m by 0.18m deep. Its fill consisted of mid-brown-grey clayey silt and contained frequent burnt stone inclusions. A suboval spread to the south-west of the pit measured 2.2m by 2m, with a maximum thickness of 0.1m. The spread material consisted of dark brown-black sandy silt with frequent charcoal and burnt stone inclusions.
A third mound, Mound C, was identified; it overlay a trough, four pits and a post-hole. The trough was subrectangular, measuring 1.9m (east–west) by 0.5m by 0.3m deep. It contained two fills, consisting of mid- to dark [mid- to dark what? brown?] clayey silt with moderate inclusions of burnt stone and charcoal. A suboval pit cut into the north-eastern corner of the trough measured 0.9m by 0.75m by 0.25m deep and contained one fill. Close to the trough was another suboval pit, measuring 0.9m by 0.7m by 0.3m deep. Its fill consisted of grey-black silty clay with moderate inclusions of burnt stone and charcoal flecking.
To the immediate south of the trough was a subcircular post-hole measuring 0.43m by 0.37m by 0.3m deep and containing one fill. Beneath the south side of the mound another pit was identified. It was an oval in plan and measured 0.7m by 0.9m by 0.4m deep. It contained two fills with frequent reddish angular heat-affected stones and charcoal throughout. The final pit under the burnt mound was located to the east of the trough. It was suboval, measuring 0.7m by 0.47m by 0.67m deep. Its fill consisted of moderately compact black clayey silt with moderate charcoal and burnt stone inclusions.
The mound itself was suboval, measuring 14m east–west by 11m and rising to a height of 0.3m. It was made up of dark black-grey sandy silt which contained frequent charcoal and burnt stone inclusions.
The Phase II features consisted of the remains of two post-medieval or early modern brick clamps. These were located in the cental and eastern parts of the site. The first consisted of alternate lines of heat-fused brick/clay and charcoal, with an overall subrectangular shape and measuring 4.1m north–south by 4m. Only the bottom layer of the clamp had survived and had a maximum thickness of 0.06m. The second clamp, of which only partial remains survived, was located closer to the centre of the site and close to Burnt Mound C. The remains of the clamp were irregular in shape, with an east–west measurement of 1.85m by 3.1m. The clamp consisted of just the bottom layer, which had a maximum thickness of 0.17m.

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