County: Kilkenny Site name: Raheenapisha 2
Sites and Monuments Record No.: n/a Licence number: 15E0569
Author: Graham Hull, TVAS (Ireland) Ltd
Site type: Middle and Late Bronze Age roundhouses and enclosure
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 648252m, N 651750m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.614849, -7.287483
This site was revealed during test trenching on the route of the N76 Callan Road Realignment, Co. Kilkenny (15E0464) and was subsequently excavated. The excavation revealed three roundhouses, a curvilinear ditch, pits, hearths and stake-holes.
The Middle Bronze Age house at Raheenapisha 2 was formed by a small gully, 3.9m in diameter, with two posts marking a south-facing door. The two Late Bronze Age examples were post-built with diameters of 3.9m and 3.56m, with no clear entrances and no internal features. Radiocarbon dates suggest that a ditch that partially enclosed the settlement relates to the first phase of settlement, although it could still have been visible when the later houses were occupied.
One of the external pits, which contained burnt stone and could have functioned as a fulacht fia trough, was also dated and was probably contemporary with the Late Bronze Age houses.
Finds include sherds from two or three Late Bronze Age domestic pots and flakes of chert and flint. Charred plant remains indicate that two of the roundhouses were more substantial oak-built structures while the third roundhouse was a flimsier willow and hazel-built structure. Charcoal from the curvilinear ditch suggested that the feature was screened by a willow palisade. Palaeoenvironmental evidence also indicated that the dwellings were set within extensive but open woodland. Five radiocarbon determinations were obtained and demonstrated that the roundhouses, the curvilinear ditch and likely other features dated to the period approximately between the later 15th and earlier 9th century BC.
AHISH, BALLINRUAN, CRUSHEEN, CO. CLARE
