County: Kildare Site name: Osberstown 7
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E004852; A073
Author: David Bayley
Site type: Charcoal production pits, stake-holes, pits, hearth
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 688033m, N 722880m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.248978, -6.680890
Stage (iii) archaeological excavation at Osberstown 7 took place in advance of the M7 Naas–Newbridge Bypass Upgrade and the M7 Osberstown Interchange and R407 Sallins Bypass Scheme, Co. Kildare. The site was discovered during Stage (i) archaeological testing and was assessed during Stage (ii) Pre-Excavation Services undertaken by Irish Archaeological Consultancy (IAC) Ltd.
Three cuttings were opened in total at Osberstown 7. Six charcoal pits, an isolated pit and a cluster of three pits and five stake-holes were identified in Cutting 1. A hearth feature was excavated in Cutting 2 which was cut by a large pit containing a partial sheep skeleton. Cutting 3 contained a single pit which may be the remains of another charcoal-production pit. Fourteen furrows were identified in total across the three cuttings running on the same alignment. A linear boundary ditch was also uncovered running across Cuttings 1 and 3.
IAC Ltd, Unit G1 Network Enterprise Park, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow
