What is recorded here

Excavation is a charcoal-rich pit beside the Newry River estuary in County Louth, Ireland, dated to 3336-2943 BC in the Middle Neolithic period. It measured about 3m by 2.4m and contained broken, burnt stones with remains of oak, ash, hazel and blackthorn. The pit may have marked a hearth, a waste dump or a ritual deposit, while nearby kilns and a habitation suggest the ridge was a busy edge of human life.

Situated on a slight gravel ridge just above the high water mark on the SW shore of the Newry River estuary. Archaeological excavation (E 4498) in advance of a new bridge recorded a large pit (dims c. 3m x c. 2.4m; max. D 0.56m) filled with a charcoal-rich soil that has inclusions of broken and burnt stones. Samples of oak, ash, hazel and blackthorn were identified but the lithic assemblage consisted of debris. A radiocarbon determination of 3336-2943 BC in the Middle Neolithic period is recorded. The habitation (LH002-012001-) is c. 10m to the S and early medieval metalworking and corn-drying kilns are c. 20m to the NE. (Walsh 2015, 301-02) Date of upload: 25 October, 2016

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