Kiln

Situated on a rise in a fairly level landscape. The penannular ring-ditch identified by GBS Prospection (2001, 9) was confirmed in archaeological testing (04E0417) by J. Dempsey (2004) when testing Testing Area 3, Contract 2, prior to the construction of the M3 motorway (excavations.ie: 2004:1184). The remaining area within the road corridor was completely excavated (E003062) by S. Rathbone as Berrilstown 1 in November 2006 (excavations.ie 2006:1510). Twenty six pits and a corn-drying kiln were excavated around the E edge of the ring-ditch, the pits being more dispersed with distance from the ring-ditch. The keyhole-shaped kiln (dims 3.8m E-W; 1.8m N-S; max. D 1.08m) was c. 6m NE of the ring-ditch. It had evidence of in situ burning and six fills of silty or sandy clay with charcoal and burnt stone and bone fragments. There were also barley grains, but no dating is available. (Rathbone 2009, 3-4) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 20 April, 2022