Platform in Kilmainham (kells Upper By., Teltown Par.)

Three hut-sites, this stone platform, some pit-burials and burnt mound 2 can be dated to the Early Bronze Age (2500-1700 BC). A series of metalled surfaces are located at the top of a SE-facing slope towards the tip of the S-N spur. The primary surface is an irregularly-shaped area (dims 9m x 6m) covered in pebbles laid directly onto the subsoil. It was densest at the centre but larger pebbles were at the thinner edges, and it was covered by a brown silty clay which produced no artefacts. A larger surface (dims > 11m x > 6m; T 0.1m) in two localized areas was partially covered with a brown sandy deposit that yielded two sherd from what is probably a cinerary urn. A fragment of ash charcoal from this context provided a C14 date of 1896-1752 cal. BC (UBA 12922). A small hearth with some burnt bones cut through this deposit at one point. These were sealed by a layer of grey / yellow clayey silt and a brown sandy silt which produced residual sherds of early Neolithic ware together with seven sherds from a vase urn that has an outwardly expanded rim. A small scraper and flint debitage was also present. A small pit (dims 0.75m x 0.67m; D 0.4m) cut through the sealing layer and produced no artefacts but provided a C14 date of 1299-1059 cal. BC (UBA 15481) placing it in the Late Bronze Age. A metalled path (L 5.48m; Wth 1m) extended SE from the centre of the covered metalled area and may have led to further stoney surfaces to the SE, while stakeholes penetrated the covering of the metalled surface at NW. Two small charcoal-rich layers over this at SW produced some redeposited Early Neolithic ceramics as well as some flint flakes and blades. These, and the clays covering the sealed metalled surfaces were covered with layers of clay that had varying amounts of silt and charcoal. Stakeholes and occasional pits were inserted through these layers but the ceramics recovered are of Early Bronze Age character and included Beaker. Flint and chert artefacts also occur including an unfinished flint arrowhead, while a complete arrowhead from the topsoil in this area could also have derived from these layers. A fragment of ash charcoal from a closing layer returned a C14 date of 1906-1683 cal. BC (UBA 12923). A NW-SE line of 28 stakeholes (L c. 15m) just SW of the metalled platform are set partly into the covering layers, and the line might be continued further E from its S end and is part of a system of light fences (ME017-087014-). (Walsh 2011, vol. 1, 71-81, 112) The covering layers also partially covered a large pit (dims 5m NW-SE; 3m NE-SW; D 0.6m) just NE of the metalled surface. It had 21 layers, but the lowermost fills appear to be redeposited subsoil. Above these was a small metalled surface at the NW end and an accumulation of clayey silts. Above these were dumped closing layers of yellow / brown silty clays. Five sherds from the same Beaker vessel and one lithic were recovered from the central layers. Three large postholes around the edge of the pit are thought to be contemporary and a sample of hazel charcoal from one provided a C14 date of 2569-2350 cal. BC (UBA 12921), placing it in the Late Neolithic / Early Bronze Age and older than the metalled surfaces. (Walsh 2011, vol. 1, 51-3) Two concentrations of stake- and postholes were c. 2m NW of the metalled surface. The W group (dims c. 2.5m E-W; c. 2m N-S) has 12 postholes and five stakeholes that are filled with the same brown silty clay and are thought to be closely contemporary. About 2m to the E is the SW angle of a triangular array of 13 postholes and five stakeholes, and all but three of these have evidence of burning in situ. No diagnostic artefacts were recovered and they were partially covered by the final layers sealing the metalled surface. An irregularly-shaped pit (dims 2.5m x 1.6m; D 0.27m) just W of the metalled area was cut through and filled with sandy soils, but two worn sherds of what is probably a cordoned urn were recorded from it. Pits and postholes S and SW of the metalled surface could also be related to it, but no pattern is discernible amongst the postholes and no artefacts were recovered from them. Two postholes at NE related to the sealing layers of the metalled surface and cut the closing layer of the large isolated pit that had produced Beaker pottery. (Walsh 2011, vol. 1, 81-92) See the attached plans adapted from Walsh 2011 (vol. 2, figs 5, 6, 19) ME017-087_1 Site plan; ME017-087_2 Contour plan; ME017-087_6 Location ME017-087012-_1 Early phase; ME017-087012-_2 Middle phase; ME017-087012-_3 Late phase; Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 21 March 2022