Burnt mound in Clowanstown (skreen By., Skreen Ed.)

Located on a slight N-facing slope. Archaeological testing (04E0418) by J. Dempsey of Testing Area 4, Contract 2, prior to the construction of the M3 motorway identified three spreads of burnt mound material. The area was fully excavated (E003065) by M. Mossop as Clowanstown 2 (excavations.ie 2006:1534) in August- September 2006 when it proved to be two burnt mound spreads and a fulacht fia. In Area B were some tree-boles, one of which incorporated a hearth (diam. 1.5m; D 0.2m) filled with loose black charcoal-stained silt with lenses of dark grey clay and charcoal inclusions. Another tree-bole produced a flint and two chert flakes along with burnt bone that produced a C14 date of 3496-3103 cal. BC (BETA 242291). An E-W drain (Wth 1.5m; D 0.18m) filled with a light grey clay terminated just S of the hearth and extended W (L 6m) outside the excavation. It may be related to the hearth as it is not part of the E-W and N-S drainage system. A hollow-based arrowhead was also recovered from the topsoil c. 5m S of the hearth. (Mossop and Ruddle 2008, 3-4) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 20 April 2022

Burnt mound, Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age. The site is significant as it reflects ritual or industrial activities associated with heat-related processes, commonly found across Ireland during this period.