Metalworking site in Cloncollog

Cloncollog 2 is located approximately 2.5km east-south-east of Tullamore town centre. The pasture field was irregular in plan and sloped gently from north-east to south-west. A pit was identified (Context 006) in Trench 26 c. 375m from the south-western end of the centre-line trench and was excavated by Linda Hegarty of Headland Archaeology under licence No. E2850 in February 2007. This pit was situated 150m north-east of the building recorded as Cloncollog 1 (see No. 1450 above). The pit was circular in plan measuring 0.45m in diameter and 0.38m in depth. It had sharp breaks of slope on the top with near vertical sides. The base was flat with sharp breaks of slope. Around the surface and sides of the pit was between 0.05 and 0.1m of oxidised clay, suggesting intense in situ heat. It contained two fills. The primary fill consisted of loose black/brown silt with approximately 50% charcoal inclusions. Lumps of highly vitrified slag/ conglomerated material and solid metal material (non-magnetic) were identified throughout this fill. This fill was 0.2m deep and covered the base of the pit. Overlying this fill was moderately compact grey/brown silt with approximately 15–20% charcoal inclusions. Lumps of highly vitrified slag/conglomerated material were identified around the edges of this fill, which reached a depth of 0.2m. Due to the high archaeological content of this feature an additional trench (26a) was stripped of topsoil. It was excavated south-west of pit (006) measuring 17.6m, running parallel with the centre-line trench and connecting with Trench 25. Nothing of further archaeological significance was identified (Bennett 2010, 400). Compiled by Caimin O'Brien Date of upload/revision : 08 november 2011