House — Neolithic in Gortore

This house was excavated in 2005 in advance of the construction of the M8 Rathcormac-Fermoy Bypass. The rectangular house (int. L 6.3m; Wth 5.1m) was defined by main posts set within the remains of foundation trenches, which were best preserved along the S wall. According to the excavator, the position and size of a substantial post-hole (0.4m x 0.38m; 0.35m), located midway along the line of the S wall, may indicate part of an off-centre entrance to the house (O'Donoghue 2006, 8). A layer of redeposited clay, located to the N of the possible entrance and extending into the centre of the interior, probably represented a floor surface (ibid., 9). A single internal post-hole was interpreted as an internal roof support (ibid., 8). According to Kiely (2006, 55), the presence of several external post-holes, immediately outside the house walls, suggests that the roof extended beyond the walls and was supported by external uprights. Five flint flakes were recovered from the house. The plant remains from the house contained a typical range of early Neolithic cereals and fragments of a charred apple. Two early Neolithic carinated bowls were recovered from within the house, mainly from the foundation trenches along the S and E walls. Charcoal taken from the house has been radiocarbon dated to 3928-3655 cal. BC. (Kiely 2006, 54-7; O'Donoghue 2006) The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 5' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2009). Date of upload: 22 December 2009