County: Cork Site name: N73 Annakisha Realignment Scheme, Annakisha South 1
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 19E0713 and 19R0244
Author: Graham Hull, TVAS (Ireland) Ltd
Site type: Pits and post-holes
Period/Dating: Iron Age (800 BC-AD 339)
ITM: E 561655m, N 603230m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.179544, -8.560679
Annakisha South 1 was located on the proposed N73 Annakisha Realignment Scheme, near Mallow, Co. Cork. The site was situated in a pasture field on the north side of the current N73.
The excavation, which was carried out on behalf of Cork County Council/Transport Infrastructure Ireland, revealed four pits and three post-holes. The three post-holes formed a line 2.8m long. The post-holes were sub-circular, 0.16-0.49m across and 0.14-0.22m deep, with single fills that only yielded a few fragments of bone. The pits were 0.7-1.5m across and 0.3-0.43m deep.
Radiocarbon determinations on animal bone from two of the pits dated the features to the Developed/Later Iron Age in the period between the second century BC and the first few decades of the first century AD. The animal bone assemblage was domestic food waste and included cattle and pig bone, some with cut-marks indicating butchery.
A fragment of ceramic crucible was recovered from one of the pits and showed evidence of use to melt non-ferrous metals such as copper/silver alloy and possibly tin. The crucible and animal bone waste are rare finds from the Iron Age.
The south-west corner of the site, which is situated closest to the existing road, appeared to have been mechanically disturbed in the recent past for agricultural purposes.
The archaeological features and deposits within the site were fully excavated and the site does not appear to extend beyond the scheme boundary. The excavated area was backfilled and reinstated.
Ahish, Ballinruan, Crusheen, Co. Clare
