County: Cork Site name: Killeen 5
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E004907
Author: John O’Connor, Rubicon Heritage Services Ltd
Site type: Pits and linear features
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 521314m, N 577458m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 51.943653, -9.144509
Excavation by Rubicon Heritage Ltd at Killeen 5 was undertaken as part of the N22 Baile Bhuirne–Macroom Road Scheme (Lot 1) Archaeological Consultancy Services Contract. The excavation was carried out on behalf of Cork County Council and funded by Transport Infrastructure Ireland.
Excavation works recorded the remains of thirteen pits, a large crescent shaped feature, stake-holes and drainage features; one fragmented prehistoric pot was retrieved from one of these pits and two further sherds of prehistoric pottery were also recovered from the site. Artefactual and environmental evidence suggests the features are waste pits from nearby settlement.
Two pits that were securely dated to the Late Bronze Age period through radiocarbon dating and artefactual analysis. Both pits contained fragments of Late Bronze Age pottery from the same vessel.
Four features were radiocarbon dated to the period of transition between the Late Bronze Age and the Iron Age, with a fifth considered likely to be of similar date, due to its proximity to two of the dated pits. These included three adjacent pits, which were located to the southwest of a curvilinear ditch/trench, and an additional pit. The A curvilinear ditch extended around the northwest and northeast sides of the aforementioned pits in a semi-circle. The excavated features formed no identifiable structure.
Two drainage/boundary ditches were identified in the northern area of the site, with one returning an early medieval date.
Analysis of the charcoal fragments recovered showed that wood use changed during the use of the site. In the Middle to Late Bronze age oak and alder dominated, with lower occurrences of willow and pomaceous woods. Slightly later activity also contained a mixed wood assemblage dominated by ash and hazel from many features. As no in situ burning was evident and in the absence of any diagnostic finds, the nature of these pit/cut features is uncertain and so the charcoal therein is most likely dumped debris from nearby domestic/occupational activities. A curvilinear drainage ditch, dated to the early medieval period, contained a high oak content, with a lower occurrence of ash and pomaceous woods. The majority of the charcoal identified contained between 2 and 15 annual growth rings and were classified as being from both small and larger branchwood/heartwood since the growth rings displayed a strong to weak curvature profile.
A fragment of weathered rather dense slag with flow structure was recovered from the topsoil. This material is reminiscent of iron smelting slag, either deriving from a slag-pit furnace or from a furnace with lateral slag removal.
Pottery sherds from two Late Bronze Age vessels were recovered. Vessel 1 (over 40 sherds) was a large bucket shaped vessel with a flat rim which had a very slight internal bevel. The rim diameter was 24cm and the base diameter was 16cm. The vessel ranged in thickness, with the rim measuring 14mm thick which thinned towards the lower half of the body of the vessel to 11.5mm. The base was 15mm thick but thinned towards the centre of the base to 12mm. The sherds represent a vessel which was moderately fired. Organic residue analysis (ORA) of four sherds indicates that this vessel was used to process ruminant animal carcass products (cow, goat & sheep), by either roasting or boiling in a half-filled vessel. Vessel 2 (one sherd) was sparsely tempered with small sized inclusions of a soft stone, possibly mudstone. The ORA indicated this vessel was used to process ruminant (cow, goat & sheep) and non-ruminant (pig) animal carcass products.
Two sherds of 18th to 20th century pottery were recovered from topsoil; one a small body sherd of Glazed Red Earthenware and a small, small, gently curving and coarse tile fragment.
Dating
A total of six radiocarbon dates were obtained for the excavation at Killeen 5. There were two pits that were dated to the Late Bronze Age period through radiocarbon dating and artefactual analysis. Four features were radiocarbon dated to the Late Bronze Age/ Iron Age. It is likely that all the remaining features in the cluster date to the Late Bronze Age to Iron Age. Two drainage ditches were identified in the northern area of the site, one of these was radiocarbon dated to the early medieval period.
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