Burnt spread in Russagh

Testing was carried out by Ellen O’Carroll of Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd under licence No. E2638 as part of an archaeological mitigation programme associated with the N6 Kilbeggan to Athlone dual carriageway. The site was identified during testing undertaken by Yvonne Whitty of IAC Ltd in July 2005 (A016/029). The site was excavated in March 2006. An excavation area measuring 15m by 15m was opened. The site consisted of a burnt spread, a charcoal-rich pit and a field boundary. The pit was 2.2m long, 1.1m wide and 0.22m deep and contained charcoal-rich clay with fragments of red brick. A large quantity of post-medieval finds were recovered from the topsoil in the vicinity of these features, including c. 80 sherds of post-medieval pottery and a 17th-century coin (Bennett 2010, 573). Compiled by Caimin O'Brien Date of upload / revision : 10 November 2011