2020:446 - Corbally, Kildare

Excavation revealed the remains of an Early Neolithic rectangular house with a cluster of associated features c. 10m to the north-west. The house was defined by a slot trench with internal measurements of 6.4m north-west/south-east x 5.5m enclosing an area of c. 36 sq.m. A c.0.7m gap in the eastern corner indicated an entrance. The slot trench varied in width from 0.3-0.55m and in depth from 0.13-0.43m. Seven post-holes were identified in the base of the slot trench. Finds from the slot trench comprised a flint and chert flake with pottery sherds from four Early Neolithic carinated bowls. The wood charcoal identified from the fill of the slot trench and from all other sampled features comprised solely of oak. A centrally located patch of oxidised subsoil indicated the location of a hearth while an internal pit and post-hole and two external post-holes completed the excavated features for the house. A cluster of two pits, one a probable hearth, and two post-holes lay to the north-west. Artefacts retrieved from this area included two burnt flint flakes, a flint thinning flake, quartz and rock crystal chips and further pottery sherds from Early Neolithic carinated bowls. Hazelnut shell and an apple pip likely representing food waste came from the probable hearth. No charred cereal grain or bone was retrieved from the excavation. Oak brushwood charcoal from the slot trench was dated to 3780-3640cal. BC 2ẟ (UBA-44657, 4941 +/-31 BP) while a charred hazelnut shell fragment from the probable hearth to the north-west was dated to 3950-3660 cal. BC 2ẟ (UBA-44664, 5017 +/-32 BP). This is one of up to eight rectangular Early Neolithic houses that have been excavated in Corbally townland with the others lying c. 200-300m north-eastwards on higher ground.

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