Excavations.ie

2014:445 - DESERT (Carbery East (E.D.) By.) AND MILES, Cork

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Cork

Site name: DESERT (Carbery East (E.D.) By.) AND MILES

Sites and Monuments Record No.: CO135-145

Licence number: 14E0427

Author: Patricia Long, Rubicon Heritage Services Ltd.

Author/Organisation Address: Unit 2, Europa Enterprise Park, Midleton, Co. Cork

Site type: Fulacht fia

Period/Dating: Bronze Age (2200 BC-801 BC)

ITM: E 537126m, N 541352m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 51.621135, -8.908018

Test excavation was undertaken at Desert (Carbery East (E.D.) By.) and Miles, Clonakilty, on behalf of the OPW in advance of planning of the Clonakilty Flood Alleviation Scheme in order to inform the Environmental Impact Assessment.

The proposed flood embankment at Old Timoleague Road is located close to the site of an enclosure (CO135-132) in the townland of Desert (Carbery East (E.D.) By.). This site has no upstanding remains, but it was possible that construction of the flood bank could impact on any surviving sub-surface remains associated with the site. Test excavation revealed no indications of any features associated with the enclosure site within the footprint of the tidal floodbank in Desert townland.

The proposed location of the Fluvial Storage Area incorporates the sites of five monuments—a holy well (CO135-050001), a mill (CO135-050002) and three fulachtaí fiadh (CO135-145; CO135-146; CO135-147) in the townland of Miles. One fulacht fiadh is within the footprint of the proposed storage embankment. Construction of the embankment may impact on sub-surface features relating to this site.

A total of 405 linear metres of test trench were excavated. The results indicate that subsurface remains of one fulacht fiadh (CO135-145) are present within the footprint of the proposed flood bank in Miles townland. Located along the western side of Trench 3 the larger irregular shaped spread (003) was 1.42m long and 0.9m wide, with a small exploratory section revealing the depth to be 0.31m. The second elongated spread (004) was situated towards the centre of the trench with maximum dimensions of 2.7m long, 0.42m wide and 0.03m deep. Both spreads were composed of highly compacted heat-affected stone in a charcoal-rich soil matrix and were stratigraphically above the alluvial deposit (002) which was localised to this area.

Radiocarbon dating of a sample of willow oak from this site returned a Late Bronze Age date of 1071–899 BC (SUERC 60918). Construction of the flood bank associated with the proposed fluvial storage area will directly impact on this site.

No other archaeological features or deposits were identified either in Miles townland or in Desert townland. There is no evidence to suggest that any subsurface remains of the second fulacht fiadh site (CO135-147) survive within the proposed floodbank footprint.


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