Kiln — corn-drying in Beaufort

This possible corn-drying kiln was discovered during licensed archaeological test trenching (16E0136). At the end of a trench a small portion of in-situ burning was identified and the trench was expanded to expose an area 5.2m x 4.9m. The burnt deposit extended south and presented as a kiln, 4.9m in overall length. The probable chamber of this kiln was at the northern end, 2.2m east-west x 2m. A linear deposit, representing the flue, extended from the southwestern part of the chamber where a large stone (0.55m x 0.37m) appeared to define the ‘neck’. This flue was 2.9m in length, 0.96m wide at the north end it narrowed to 0.6m before splaying out to 1.35m in width. At the southern end, the mouth of the kiln was filled with mid brown stony silt with charcoal flecks (1.9m x 1.35m). Where the flue narrowed, a concentration of charcoal and silt was evident (0.6m x 0.5m). Brown stony silt with charcoal flecks formed the upper fill of the remainder. The chamber area had been slightly truncated at the northern end and suggested a stone-lining of rounded cobbles over which a layer of charcoal was deposited, 0.1m in thickness. The natural subsoil beneath these layers had been reddened by heat. The same charcoal and heat-effected natural subsoil was evident along the eastern edge of the chamber. The evidence of intense burning, stone-lining and overall shape suggest that this is a key-hole shaped corn-drying kiln. Two possible stake-holes were found 1.65m to the east of the kiln, 1.4m apart and contained dark charcoal stained soil. On the western side of the kiln, a sub-rectangular deposit of greyish brown silt and stone measured 1m north-south x 0.66m. This was just 0.3m from the kiln edge. None of these features were excavated and no finds were recovered. Compiled by: Aidan Harte Date of upload: 4 April 2016