What is recorded here

Topsoil stripping in Gunnocks, County Meath, revealed a small pit holding scorched clay and alder charcoal dated to 665-775 AD. The charred remains suggest people made charcoal there during the early medieval period, likely supplying fuel or material for nearby activity. The pit is tiny, yet it preserves a moment when fire and human labour shaped the landscape.

Archaeological monitoring (15E0577) by P. Duffy, D. Bayle and J. Whitaker of topsoil stripping over a large area (c. 92 ha.) that was conducted intermittently between Dec. 2015 and October 2018 uncovered 37 locations of potential archaeological importance (excavations.ie 2016:051). Each of these was further investigated by the same archaeologists under different licences. At Site 36, excavation under the original monitoring licence (15E0557) recorded a single pit (dims 0.9m x 0.49m; D 0.08m) with two layers of grey to black silty clays and large lumps of charcoal and scorched clay. A fragment of alder charcoal provided a C14 date of 665-775 cal. AD (FTMC-BD08-17), indicating an early medieval date. (Duffy et. al. 2021, 25-6) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 26 April, 2023 Duffy, P., Fairhead, S. & F. Fleeshouven 2021 Final Excavation Report for Sites 3-37, Clonee, Portan, Gunnocks, Co. Meath. Multiple licences, Unpublished report, Irish Archaeological Consultancy

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