What is recorded here

Under a Dalteen road, a meter of burnt sandstone and charcoal still holds the heat of Early Bronze Age hands. Men laid pipe for water in 2001, cut through the mound, and redirected the route rather than destroy what the soil had preserved. For three centuries the site gave up nothing, then surrendered its shape to a trench. The road still carries cars above the fire that made it.

This burnt mound was discovered beneath a road during pipe laying on the Lough Mask Regional Water Supply Scheme (2001-2002). It was recorded and sampled under licence 01E0314 (Guinan 2015, 104, 121-122). A layer (L 1.5m; T 0.09-0.2m) of burnt sandstone and charcoal was exposed in section c. 0.6m beneath the road surface on the E edge of the road. The route of the pipe was subsequently altered to avoid the monument which appeared to extend to E beyond the road verge. The full extent of the burnt mound could not be determined but it is estimated to measure c. 10-15m N–S by c. 5m E–W. A charcoal sample produced a radiocarbon date of 3516+/-41 BP (1963-1743 BC) which dates the site to the Early Bronze Age. (Guinan 2015, 121-122). Compiled by: Jane O’ Shaughnessy Date of upload: 3 March 2016

Burnt mound, Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age. These features are commonly associated with domestic or ritual activities, such as heat-treated stone use in cooking or ceremonial contexts.

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.