House — prehistoric in Castleroan

Phase 2 excavations by John Tierney of Eachtra Archaeological Projects under licence No. E3909 along 17.1km (Contact 1) of the 35km N7 Castletown to Nenagh (Derrinsallagh to Ballintotty) national road scheme were commissioned by Laois County Council and the National Roads Authority. Contract 1 comprises the western half of the scheme and runs from Clashnevin to Castelroan, passing along the Tipperary North and Offaly county border regions. Six areas of archaeology were uncovered during Contract 1 trial-trench testing. Castleroan 1, Area 7.2, had originally been tested under licence E3375 (see No. 1703 below) in 2007. A potential house site with pits and post-holes was uncovered during testing. Excavations revealed five slot-trenches, two hearths, 60 post-holes, 55 pits and 68 stake-holes. The site measured 60m by 30m but the majority of the features were concentrated in an area measuring 20m by 20m. The numerous post- and stake-holes represented the footprint of at least two structures. Finds included sherds of Beaker pottery, a rubbing stone and worked chert and flint. Structure A was located in the north-western section of the site. It comprised two rings of posts: an inner ring of nine pits and post-holes and a slot-trench, and an outer ring of nine post-holes. The diameter of the inner ring was c. 5m and the diameter of the outer ring was c. 7m. The interior was characterised by a hearth, six pits, a post-hole and a slot-trench. Structure B (OF047-019002-) was located 5m to the south. The footprint of the structure was incomplete. It comprised two slot-trenches and five post-holes, with the slot-trenches probably marking an entrance, c. 1.4m wide. Five post-holes may have formed part of an internal ring of posts. There was an internal hearth, the base of which was cut by four stake-holes, probably the remains of hearth furniture (Bennett 2010, 399). Compiled by Caimin O'Brien Date of upload/revision: 08 November 2011