Charcoal-making site in Ardnamullan

Situated in a gently undulating landscape. An area of sub-surface archaeological features was identified by Ian Russell in centre-line testing (02E0108) for the M4 Dublin to Galway motorway and set aside as Ardnamullan 1. Excavation (02E1147) revealed two rectangular (dims 1.6m x 0.9m; D 0.1m: 2.5m x 1.5m; D 0.25m) pits, interpreted as charcoal-making pits, and two subcircular (dims 0.7m x 0.4m; D 0.12m: 1m x 0.6m; D 0.2m) pits cut in the subsoil and truncated by furrows, which could have been bloom smithing hearths. All the pits contained charcoal flecks or oxidized clay, and a fragment of burnt bone and a single piece of waste flint were recovered from the smaller rectangular pit. The charcoal-making pits produced a C14 date of Cal. AD 1020-1250. (Linnane 2004)` Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 13 August 2019