Kiln

Excavated in 1999 in advance of the development of an industrial and retail complex on Little Island in Cork harbour. There were no visible remains of this possible corn-drying kiln prior to the removal of the topsoil. It consisted of a linear stone-lined feature (2.2m E-W; 0.5-0.84m N-S; max. D 0.4m), divided roughly in half by fire-reddened stone. It was filled with charcoal-enriched deposits and red oxidised soil resulting from intense burning. A large quantity of charred cereal grain recovered form the fill led the excavator to conclude that this feature may have functioned as a cereal-drying kiln. The cereal remains yielded a radiocarbon date which placed the use of this kiln in the 5th/6th century AD. Two possible kiln flues (CO075-085----, CO075-086----) and a Bronze Age fulacht fia (CO075-082----) were also excavated in the immediate vicinity. (McCarthy 2000, 25; 2004a, 51-66) The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 5' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2009). Date of upload: 22 December 2009