Pit in Killeen East

Closely associated to E and NE of an enclosure (RO022-170----) and discovered through archaeological excavation in conjunction with the ‘N5 Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge Road Project’. Four pits were found: the southernmost was irregular in plan (L 1.5m; Wth 0.95m; D 0.21m) and samples of fill produced charcoal, charred plant macrofossils, burnt clay and burnt bone. The abundance of charred plant macrofossils and in-situ burning was interpreted as suggesting it may have been used to dry, cook or otherwise process cereal grains, while the burnt bone awaits specialist identification. A second pit, c. 9m to NE of the first, was subrectangular (L 1.5m; Wth 1.24m; 0.34m) and contained a single fill of moderately compacted brownish red silty clay with occasional charcoal flecks. It was interpreted as perhaps having been dug to extract soil or stone, rather than for a space to do or deposit something in. A third pit, c. 2.8m NE of the previous, was smaller and shallower: sub-oval in plan (L 0.89m; Wth 0.85m; D 0.13m), it contained a single fill of black clayey silt with lenses of heat oxidised clayey silt with charcoal and frequent inclusions of burnt bone and ash. A sample produced charcoal and abundant charred plant macrofossils suggesting it may have been used to dry, cook or otherwise process cereal grains. A fourth pit, at a remove c. 22.5m to the N of the previous, was sub oval (L 1,73m; Wth 0.69m; D 0.22m) and contained a single fill of mid-orangey brown silty clay. A sample of its fill produced no charcoal or charred plant macrofossils or other recognisable remains of significance and this pit was interpreted as having been dug to extract soil or stone, rather than for a space to do or deposit something in. The features were fully excavated and recorded. Also associated and excavated were a second series of pits (RO022-170002-), linear features (RO022-170004-) and a ring-ditch (RO022-170001-). Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy Date of upload: 4 August 2023