What is recorded here

Three shallow pits in North Cork hold charred oats, barley and wheat from the Early Christian or medieval period, buried beside a pit burial and circular enclosure. They appeared only when trenches cut for a piggery, revealing domestic fire and food storage hidden beneath ordinary farmland. The smallest pit is barely deep enough to submerge a boot, yet it preserves more of daily life than many grand ruins.

Three pits discovered during trial trenching in advance of piggery development (Byrne and Sleeman 1993, 9-10). Pit F1 (2.55m N-S; surviving Wth 0.54m E-W; D 0.24m), with gently sloping E side, contained charcoal-enriched soil and a large quantity of charred cereal grains. Second pit, F2 (Wth 0.88m; surviving D 0.36m), cut through F1 on W side; contained dark loamy fill with charcoal, charred cereal grains and an unidentifiable fragment of animal bone; the type and combination of the cereal grains (oats, barley, breadwheat and possibly rye) suggest Early Christian/medieval date (ibid., 10). Top of F2 truncated by field drain. Portion of third pit, F3, with gently sloping side (D 0.14m), c. 5.3m to SW; this contained dark grey/brown earth with some charcoal (Byrne and Sleeman (1992, 8). Pit burial (11969) found in same field c. 30m to NNW; circular enclosure (13533) c. 30m to SE. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 4: North Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2000). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

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