County: Kerry Site name: Scrallaghbeg 1
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E005266
Author: Ed Danaher
Site type: Charcoal-production pits, charcoal spread and pit
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 467397m, N 608702m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.214108, -9.940503
Stage (iii) Excavation was carried out between 13 and 16 October 2020 at the site of Scrallaghbeg 1 in advance of construction of the N86 Ballynasare Lower to Annascaul and Doonore North to Ballygarret Road Improvement Scheme, Co. Kerry. The work was carried out under Ministerial Direction Number A070 and Registration Numbers E005266 (Excavation) and R000545 (Metal Detection), on behalf of Kerry County Council. The site was discovered in the western area of the Doonore North to Ballygarret section of the scheme in the townland of Scrallaghbeg during advance Stage (i) Test Excavations undertaken in 2020 by Archaeological Management Solutions Ltd.
Scrallaghbeg 1 consisted of two charcoal-production pits, a charcoal spread and a pit. The first charcoal-production pit was sub-rectangular in plan, measured 3.1m by 1.82m by 0.46m in depth and contained two fills. A curvilinear channel in the western end, which measured 0.78m by 0.15m by 0.1m in depth and contained a single fill, may have functioned as a flue. The second charcoal-production pit was sub-rectangular in plan, measured 3.16m by 1.94m by 0.5m in depth and contained seven fills, with a stone alignment of four sandstones deliberately placed to divide the pit into two compartments. The charcoal spread was sub-oval in plan and measured 0.9m by 0.5m by 0.03m in depth. The pit was located between the two charcoal-production pits. It was sub-oval in plan, measured 1.6m by 0.9m by 0.15m in depth and contained a single fill.
A possible worked crystal quartz piece (E005145:1:58) was recovered from topsoil during Stage (ii) Pre-Excavation Services. In the absence of absolute dating, given the nature of the site type, it would not be unreasonable to suggest an Iron Age or medieval date for the archaeology at Scrallaghbeg 1.
Post-excavation analysis is ongoing and it is hoped that specialist reports, including radiocarbon dating and comparative research, will further enhance our understanding of the site.
Archaeological Management Solutions Ltd, Fahy’s Road, Kilrush, Co. Clare
