Charcoal-making site in Portan (dunboyne By.)

Located on a fairly level landscape. A gradiometer survey (17R0229) by Target Archaeological Geophysics of an extensive development area of c. 75 ha in the townlands of Loughsallagh, Portan, and Gunnocks, identified numerous anomalies of potential archaeological interest. Targeted archaeological testing (18E0013) by T. Coughlan in 2018 and M. Piera (19E0211) in 2019 was able to demonstrate that many of these were of fairly modern agricultural origin. However, sixteen locations were set aside for further investigation, which was undertaken by J. Whitaker under the licence (18E0013) between the beginning of April and the end of July 2019, and all but four of these proved to be of archaeological interest. A single rectangular and flat-bottomed pit (dims 1.24m x 1.1m; max. D 0.15m) was filled with three layers of grey-black silty clay. Charcoal flecks were only present in the middle layer but the base and edges of the cut were oxidised, indicating burning and its probable use as a charcoal-making pit. No artefacts were recovered. (Whitaker 2020, 28, Site 9) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 8 November 2021