2012:377 - Cornacloy 1, Leitrim

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Leitrim Site name: Cornacloy 1

Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 12E362

Author: Ross MacLeod with Steve Hourihan

Site type: Cereal-drying kiln

Period/Dating:

ITM: E 596268m, N 838106m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.291715, -8.057323

Stage (iii) excavations were undertaken as part of the Archaeological Services Contract prior to the commencement of construction works associated with the N16 Cornacloy to Sradrine Realignment in northern Co. Leitrim.
Stage (i) Test Excavation and Survey Services and Stage (ii) Pre-Excavation Services on the scheme were carried out under licence 11E417 by Ross MacLeod (above No. 376). Two areas of archaeological interest – Cornacloy 1 and 2 – were identified during testing.
Stage (ii) Pre-Excavation Services (additional trenching, cleaning and mapping of the area of archaeological interest identified during Stage (i) test trenching) were carried out on behalf of Leitrim County Council during the same period. Stage (ii) Services confirmed the presence of a burnt mound at Cornacloy 2 and a cereal-drying kiln at Cornacloy 1.
Full excavation was undertaken at Cornacloy 1 on 9 October 2012. A probable cereal-drying kiln was identified during the excavation.
The cereal-drying kiln was generally keyhole-shaped in plan, with sharp breaks of slope, steep concave sides and an irregular undulating base. It measured 4.02m in length, 1.23m in width and 0.48m deep with a north-south orientation. There was evidence of intense oxidisation throughout the kiln especially at either end. There was also evidence of burning toward the centre of the kiln.
The kiln had 4 separate fills. The basal fill was localised at the southern end of the cut. It consisted of mixed burnt orange clay and charcoal. It measured 1.23m (east to west) by 0.25m and had a depth of 0.48m. This fill most likely represents an accidental firing of the drying bowl. Overlying this was light yellow grey silty clay with small pebbles. It measured 1.91m in length, 1.23m in width and had a depth of 0.14m. Above this lay re-deposited natural of mid-brown silty clay. It measured 1.31m in length, 1.23m in width and had a depth of 0.26m. The upper fill consisted of light grey brown silty clay. It measured 3.6m on length, 1.23m in width and had a depth of 0.28m. It is hoped radiocarbon dating of recovered samples will allow the activity to be dated and the phasing of activity to be clearly defined.

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