Metalworking site in Cappagh

In 2002, archaeological excavation (Licence no. 02E1002: www.excavations.ie) of an early medieval enclosure (KD004-039----) was undertaken as part of the M4 Kinnegad-Enfield-Kilcock Motorway Scheme. The interior of the site produced evidence of three structures (KD004-039001-, KD004-039002- and KD004-039003-) and a metalworking site (KD004-039004-). A number of metalworking areas were identified in the form of possible bowl furnaces and curvilinear gullies containing metallurgical waste. At the eastern side of the site a possible shaft furnace was tentatively identified. This feature had a distinctive figure-of-eight shape and contained high concentrations of slag waste and some furnace bottom. There was also evidence of in situ burning and large amounts of charcoal in one end of the feature. The charcoal would have been the primary fuel for the furnace. Most of the artefacts recovered were iron based. It is possible that the raw material for their manufacture came from a nearby bog in the form of bog iron. It appears that unprocessed bog iron was recovered from some features on-site, and it is hoped that further laboratory analysis will verify this. It is also possible that some of the artefacts found were manufactured on-site. The recovery of a possible mould/crucible, furnace bases and evidence of two or three tuyères from the site helps to strengthen this argument. Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy Date of upload: 10 June 2011