County: Clare Site name: Cluain Fia, Crusheen, Co Clare
Sites and Monuments Record No.: CL018-053 (adjacent to) Licence number: 17E0440 (extension)
Author: Red Tobin (RedArc Consulting Ltd)
Site type: Burnt spreads and possible kiln structure
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 539622m, N 688307m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.942169, -8.898287
Test excavation in 2017 (17E0440) identified a burnt spread at this location. Planning permission was granted for the development subject to the preservation by record of any/all prehistoric remains identified during testing and the monitoring of topsoil removal over the remainder of the site.
Topsoil stripping in advance of the excavation (2018) revealed two distinct burnt spreads. One spread was contained wholly within the area stripped while the other was partially within the site extending eastwards from the western boundary of the site.
The western spread was contained within an area of under 10m. The second, larger spread extended over 20m from west to east by 18m. During the initial site clearance a kidney-shaped feature was noted on the southern part of the site on higher ground and outside of the main burnt spread.
The western spread was severely truncated with only residual pockets of classic burnt spread material. This spread was characterized by 3 overlapping 'troughs' and associated fills. The fills indicated that the troughs were abandoned and when the site was reused a new 'trough' was opened. The only artefact recovered from the site, a chert scraper, was retrieved from the topsoil over this western spread.
The main spread survived to a maximum thickness of 0.2m and on removal revealed a substantial 'trough' 3.4m in length (east-west) and 1.84m in width. The depth of the trough varied from 0.42m at the west to 0.24m at the east. Two post-holes were cut into the eastern face of the trough. A spread of earth-fast stones was identified in the western base of the trough. The area between the stones showed clear evidence for oxidisation which might indicate a fire setting as one of the earliest activities on the site. The basal/primary fill of the trough was sent for archaeobotanical analysis which produced a single hazelnut shell. This gave a Middle Bronze Age date for activity associated with the trough (1368-1361 cal. BC (2 sigma).
The kidney-shaped feature, when excavated, became a more complex structure comprising the kidney-shaped pit and a splayed array of posts and stakes extending to the north-west and north-east. The pit produced some charred cereal grains and these returned a C.14 date of 1481-1454 cal. BC (2 sigma), placing the activity associated with the pit in the Middle Bronze Age. It is thought that the pit and splayed array of posts and stakes may have served as a form of kiln for processing cereals. it may also be the case that the charred seeds were an intrusive deposit within the fill of the pit.
35 Brook Meadow, Avoca, Co Wicklow
