2021:747 - Garryhesty, Cork

A second phase of archaeological monitoring was carried out in accordance with the planning requirements for the expansion of a quarry at Gerryhesty, Co. Cork. Two clusters of archaeological features were uncovered during the topsoil stripping (Areas A & B).

Area A

The features in Area A comprised the remains of a west-north-west/east-north-east aligned linear sequence of six pits: (065), (068), (078), (080), (081) and (082). Two post-holes (069) and (070) were located adjacent to and northeast of pit (065), with a small burnt deposit (061) located 1.3m west-south-west of pit (081).

Environmental analysis of materials from pits (065) and (081) suggested a likely Early to Middle Bronze Age date for these features with grain assemblages dominated by naked barley, however radiocarbon dates proved to be late Bronze Age in date (911–792 BC). The presence of wild taxa show that the collection of wild foodstuffs took place, with bramble and elder fruits identified, while the ruderals indicate the harvesting of cereals low on the stalk and probable early tillage also taking place.

Prehistoric pit sites are frequently found in the archaeological record, and charcoal analysis from the pit features showed a variety of wood fuels were used with a range of timber sizes suggesting a mixed fuel procurement strategy of felling and possible coppicing/pollarding of trees. Fragments of three possible saddle querns (20E0382:51:01; 20E0382:57:01, 20E0382:57:02) were retrieved during the excavation of these pits. Quernstones occur with increasing frequency through the Bronze Age, particularly the Late Bronze Age and numbers diminish after this when they were replaced by rotary querns. Though primarily related to domestic activities, the probable deliberate fragmentation of such large stones and deposition within pits, such as at Garryhesty, may reflect ritual practice.

Area B

The features in this area comprised the remains of two furnaces (062) and (063) dated to the Iron Age (AD 120–323). The cut for furnace (062) was sub-circular in plan and measured 0.58m in length (east-west), 0.54m in width and 0.51m in depth. Furnace (063) was located to the west of furnace (062). The cut for furnace (063) was sub-circular in plan and measured 0.77m in length (east-west), 0.49m in width and 0.32m in depth. Environmental analysis of charcoals from the furnaces identified felling of trees to obtain wood fuel, particularly the use of hazel trees for fuel, together with some use of apple-type.

Specialist analysis determined the furnace pits typical of the remains of slag-pit furnaces. Analysis indicated that one of the pits (063) is exceptional, representing the first evidence of the use of multiple, most likely two, bellows for smelting.

Slag pit furnaces are essentially a shaft furnace, the defining feature being that the slag drains into a steep-sided pit under the furnace rather than being tapped or clogging up the furnace. This means that the smelter can produce bigger blooms as it takes longer for the furnace to ‘clog up’ with slag, making it a more efficient technology than the supposed ‘bowl furnace’. Although any evidence for superstructures is rarely found, it is assumed that most furnaces would have taken the form of a shaft furnace above the ground level. Slag pit furnaces dating to the Iron Age are commonly found in Eastern Europe but some examples are known from Great Britain although the predominant form of furnace there is the tapping shaft furnace. It has been suggested that many of the furnaces previously interpreted as bowl furnaces within Ireland should in fact be considered as a form of slag pit furnace, which would make them the dominant type with regard to early iron-working in Ireland, although more work is needed before this can be confirmed.

The furnace features in Area B dated to the Iron Age (AD 120–323). While furnace pits are often excavated on archaeological sites, the two excavated at Garryhesty can be considered to be of regional, if not national importance. One of the furnace pits (63) is exceptional, representing the first evidence of the use of multiple, most likely two, bellows for smelting. It is unclear if the other furnace operated in the same way. This is also a period within the Iron Age for which there is only one other Irish site with evidence for iron smelting: Cuffsborough 4, Co. Laois—dated to the late 1st to early 3rd centuries (Murphy D. 2009, https://excavations.ie/report/2005/Laois/0013882/). This makes the furnaces at Garryhesty one of only two known examples of this site type from this time period (as of August 2023).