What is recorded here

Topsoil stripped for a gas pipeline in 2002 revealed a shallow bowl of scorched clay and charcoal flecks, a hearth no map ever marked. Kate Taylor dug it out under licence 02E0480, finding two deposits and an oxidised halo but no artefacts to date it or name its use. The fire is certain; the hands that tended it and the hours they sat beside it have vanished into the pasture north of the watercourse.

In pasture N of a watercourse. Identified as a feature (BGE 3/76/1) during topsoil-stripping on the Bord Gáis Éireann Pipeline to the West (Grogan et. al. 2007). Not depicted on OSi historic maps. Excavated in 2002 by Kate Taylor under licence No. 02E0480 when the hearth was described as; ‘represented by a subcircular pit, measuring 0.65m by 0.72m by 0.15m deep, with a bowl-shaped profile. The pit contained two deposits, a mid-brown sandy silt, with frequent charcoal flecks and a small component of small stones, and a bright orange, sandy clay, with rare charcoal flecking and small stones. A halo of oxidised, natural, sandy clay, up to 0.15m wide, surrounded the cut feature and was visible in the base of the pit. No artefacts were recovered, and only a limited amount of charcoal was obtained from sieved samples; this is unlikely to be suitable for radiocarbon dating. It is difficult to reach a conclusion about the purpose or date of this isolated feature. It is clearly the site of a fire, as evidenced by the scorching of the natural geological deposits; however, at what time this occurred and whether it was for domestic or industrial purposes remain unknown’ (Taylor 2004, 295) Monument has been fully excavated and is not visible on aerial images. See attached plan of excavated features. Compiled by: Martin Fitzpatrick Date of upload: 17 May 2021

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