Furnace in Magheracar

In 2004 this monument [Magheracar 2] was fully excavated by Brian O Donnchadha & Rob Lynch of I.A.C. Ltd under excavation licence number 04E0098 in advance of the N15 Bundoran-Ballyshannon By-Pass. The following summary of the excavation is taken from the NRA archaeological database : The site is located on a south-facing slope of low-lying shallow valley. Area of boggy pasture, and underlying geology of poorly drained stony silty clay. This site consisted of a linear earthwork (DG109-008-) and a possible furnace. The linear earthwork is located immediately to the S of the furnace. Furnace A feature was made up of three distinctive components has been interpreted as a possible furnace. The furnace was defined by a linear cut into natural subsoil orientated east-west for a distance of around 5.3 m. The three characteristic components of this furnace were an area of burning (1) at the elevated eastern end of the furnace. This section of the furnace contained a charcoal-rich fill, with heat-affected mudstone. The central area of built stones (2) was steep-sided but irregularly so as to accommodate the stones (0.1-0.47 m by 0.07-0.34 m by 0.15-0.12 m). The possible drainage gully (3) angled slightly eastwards away from the main body of the feature. Charcoal analysis of oak (Quercus sp.) and birch (Betula sp.) from furnace. The furnace was dated to the late Iron Age/ Early medieval period.