2020:778 - Garryhesty, Cork

Monitoring of topsoil stripping in July 2020 for an extension to the quarry at Dineen’s Pit, Garryhesty, Co. Cork resulted in the uncovering of a cluster of pits and a cereal-drying kiln. In consultation with the developer and NMS it was decided to excavate the features.

A stone-lined kiln feature (03) was located on the northern slope near the highest point of the stripped area. The north-south orientated cut was keyhole-shaped, with rounded corners, and steep, almost vertical sides, except along the north edge where there was a more gradual slope. The cut for the circular bowl area measured 2m in diameter and the linear flue was 8m long and 2.3m wide.

The drying chamber and flue were stone-lined with packing material (50) behind and between the stone-lining (22) that was comprised of a variety of stone types, including limestone, shale and sandstone, of which a small number were fire reddened. In the drying chamber area, the large, rounded stones at the base were held in place by smaller rounded stones. Multiple courses of smaller elongated stones extended to the top of the drying chamber, tightly packed with the packing deposit (50) between the stones.

The flue appeared to have two phases of construction and use. The earlier flue (Phase I) followed the line of the original cut and was lined with stones (22), from the same phase of construction as those in the drying chamber. These generally flat stones were laid against the sides of the cut (03) and were tightly wedged in place with smaller stones and packed with deposit (50) and capped with more flat stones. Two of these capstones were found in situ whereas the remainder were found in the lower fills of the drying chamber.

The Phase II flue was narrower and stone-lined with a variety of limestone and shale (41), several of which were white in colour through the effects of the heat and/or fire. This flue was 0.4-0.45m deep and measured 0.52m wide at the top to the south and was wider to the northern end where it was 0.71m wide. The addition of the stones served to narrow the entrance of the flue and change the direction of the opening slightly further to the northwest. Overall, it measured 1.21m long, 0.33m wide and was 0.29m thick.

Radiocarbon dating of material from the kiln indicated activity in the late medieval period (AD 1221-1262). Analysis of material from the kiln indicated an arable economy based largely on oats (probable black oat) with hulled barley also cultivated and some potential for club-bread wheat and emmer wheat cultivation. Analysis of charcoal from kiln (03) demonstrated that oak was the main fuelwood utilised for the cereal-drying kiln activity and that procurement of this fuel was obtained by felling of oak trees. Charcoal analysis from pit features in both phases of excavation show a variety of wood fuels used with a range of timber sizes suggesting a mixed fuel procurement strategy of felling and possible coppicing/pollarding of trees.

Four pits (04), (06), (07), (23) and one linear feature (05) were excavated 15m to the southeast part of the kiln. The presence of burnt limestone in fill (17) of pit (06) may indicated that they are related to the kiln activity. A radiocarbon date obtained from hazel charcoal places the activity associated with these features to the Iron Age (51 BC to AD 209).

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