Fulacht fia in Glen

Situated in enclosed land on the flat bottom of a drained peat basin at southern foot of Knocknaveen (known locally as ‘Glan Hill’). This fulacht fia is exposed in both faces of a field drain, 20m to SSW of another fulacht fia (MA085-016004-) and close to the south-western end of the peat basin. It is overlooked by higher, drier ground, immediately to S and SW, which forms the southern limits of the basin. Another fulacht fia (MA085-016002-) is also exposed in the northern side of the same drain 19.5m to WSW. A portion of this fulacht fia was archaeologically excavated (92E163) in September–October 1992 (King 2007, 239-248). Prior to excavation, a narrow band of charcoal and heat-shattered stones was visible in both section faces of the E−W drainage trench, c. 0.2m below the ground surface. There was no above ground trace of a mound. The excavation revealing a mound (c. 3.5m E-W; c. 6.7m N-S) of burnt sandstone fragments and a heavy concentration of charcoal (King, 2007, 244-248). It may originally have been oval or horseshoe-shaped in plan, but was disturbed by later agricultural activity and the drainage ditch. The trough was not located during excavation, or by a resistivity survey undertaken in the unexcavated areas, and it may have been destroyed by the drainage ditch. A sandstone hammer stone was recovered. A charcoal sample produced a radiocarbon date of 2957 +/-33 BP(UB 6827) suggesting usage in the later Bronze Age in the period 1293-1053 BC (Ibid. 246). The above description is derived from: New Survey of Clare Island. Volume 5: Archaeology. Edited by Paul Gosling, Conleth Manning and John Waddell. (Royal Irish Academy, Dublin. 2007). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated. Date of upload: 29 November 2018