Hearth in Greenfield (muskerry East By.)

An area of compact grey/brown clay with a high charcoal content was discovered during test-trenching and subsequently excavated in 2001 in advance of the construction of the N22 Ballincollig Bypass. Excavation revealed this to be a circular bowl-shaped pit (diam. c. 0.6m; D 0.4m) whose fill consisted of charcoal in a grey/brown clay matrix. The pit was interpreted as a hearth and a charcoal sample submitted for radiocarbon analysis returned at date of AD 250-580 cal. (Murphy 2001, 17). (Murphy 2001a; 2001b; 2003e, 43) The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 5' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2009). Date of upload: 22 December 2009