Burnt mound in Woodpole

Situated on an E-facing slope with the NW-SE Blackwater River c. 200m to the E. Archaeological testing (E003641) by S. Rathbone (2007) of about 3 hectares required for the M3 development identified a burnt mound (excavations.ie 2007:1419) together with a pit and a gully which are within c. 30m of it. The mound (diam. c. 8m; T 0.2m) consisted of a spread of broken and burnt stone in a matrix of black clay and appeared in only one trench. About 30m to the S a single pit (diam. 1.1m) was filled with broken and burnt stone, and c. 10m further S a section of an E-W gully (L 10m; Wth 0.3m; D 0.07m) came to light which was also filled with broken and burnt stone. All the features are preserved in situ by being excluded from the works. (Rathbone 2007) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 6 January 2023 Rathbone, S. 2007 M3 Clonee – North of Kills Motorway Scheme. Proposed Borrow pit at Woodpole. Licence: E003641. Unpublished report, Archaeological Consultancy Services

Burnt mound in Woodpole is a Neolithic ritual or domestic site, dating to approximately 4000–2500 BCE, characterised by a heap of heat-shattered stones, often associated with water. Such sites are significant for understanding early prehistoric land use, water management, and possible ceremonial practices.