Burnt mound in Farrankelly

Burnt mound in area 5 was excavated in 2020 under licence 17E0292 by Muireann Ní Cheallacháin for IAC Archaeology during construction phase of residential development by Cairn Homes PLC. Monument was described as following; 'Mound A was a large D-shaped deposit of burnt mound material in the southwest of the site, close to a stream, with no associated trough features identified. The extent of excavated material measured c. 17m x 8.4m but the burnt mound likely extended further west towards the stream, under an area which was not being impacted on by the development. C611 was a compact layer at the base of the burnt mound identified in the north, east and south facing sections, which measured c. 8 x 5m in the central/northeast area of Mound A. It is likely that this is the location of the initial build-up of material associated with burnt mound activity. C612 was a second, more extensive layer of looser burnt mound material which had built-up to a thickness of 0.5m, potentially representing the main phase of activity. The upper spread of material in Mound A was more compact grey-black silty clay and burnt stone which did not cover the entirety of C612 and was a much thinner spread. This may represent the final phase of activity at the site' (Ní Cheallacháin and Spencer 2020, 38). Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 10 November 2020

Burnt mound in Farrankelly is a Bronze Age ritual or industrial site, dated to approximately 2000–800 BCE. Its significance lies in providing evidence of heat-related activities, possibly for cooking, metalworking, or ceremonial purposes, typical of early agrarian communities in Ireland.