Kiln — corn-drying in Clonmacnoise

A corn-drying kiln was discovered by Heather King during her excavation (E 0556) of the new graveyard at Clonmacnoise in 1990. Two cuttings were opened in section 1 in the NW of the graveyard. Cutting 1 (8m x 6m) is located immediately inside the graveyard boundary wall on the W side and cutting 2 (3m x 2.5m) is located to the E of cutting 1 and to the S of the findspot of the ogham stone (OF005-027004-). Both cuttings were excavated down to the natural and were then backfilled. In SE corner of cutting 1 a double row of postholes were uncovered which represents the earliest evidence for occupation that were cut into the natural sandy soil of the esker ridge. In the N end of this cutting the excavator unearthed a semi-circular arrangement of postholes that may have been part of a circular structure. The remaining half of this feature to the N of the postoles was not excavated and has been left in situ. In the SW end of this cutting two corn-drying kilns were uncovered. Both of the kilns were almost circular in shape and are set side by side above a deep pile of stones. Only the oven end of both kilns survive, a later pit has been removed all evidence of the rest of the furnace. The ovens were orientated to the W with the furnace to the E. Kiln 62 appears to have been built first by placing stones in a sucer or pudding-bowl shape and setting one large flat stone as the base for the oven and two uprights to form the passage of the flue. This was then plastered with a thick layer of yellow daub which subsequently became reddened where it was in direct contact with heat. This may have been used on a few occasions beofre kiln 21 (OF005-027006-) was built as there is layer of ash (D 0.2m) on top of the stones below the oven of kiln 21 which may represent throwout from kiln 62. Both kilns had a deposit of ash within the ovens and they appear to have been subsequently covered with daub which may represent collapsed lids or covers. The iron loop-headed pin with spiral ring found in the lowest layers suggests a pre-10th century date for the earliest occupation on the site. The large spread of charcoal c. 0.2m deep occurred in cutting 1 may be the result of the many burnings inflicted on Clonmacnoise between the 9th and 12th centuries. The lack of medieval pottery on the site would seem to suggest that the site was abandoned at the end of the 12th century before the arrival of the Normans and that it remained unused since then. (King, H. 1990, 'Preliminary report on the 1990 excavations in the New Graveyard at Clonmacnoise, Co. Offaly') Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of upload: 23 May 2011