Fulacht fia in Drumgold

Identified in centre-line testing (E4110) in advance of the M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy road scheme and set aside for resolution as Drumgold 2 (Hardy et al. 2010, 88-9). It is situated on a plateau extending SE of Vinegar Hill, c. 1.7km to the WNW. It was completely excavated (E4169) by D. Gallagher when a straight-sided circular trough (diam. 2.26-2.37m; D 0.3-0.43m) with five stake-holes in the base was recorded. This was surrounded by three small pits (dims 0.3-0.7m; D 0.1-0.14m), with a larger pit (dims 3.9m; x 2.4m; D 0.4m) mostly filled with burnt mound material, just to the SE. Apart from a small spread (dims 1.85m x 0.9m) that initially identified the site there was no burnt mound. However, 6.4m to the NW two curvilinear channel s (Wth 0.65m; D 0.56m: Wth 0.67m; D 0.31m) fed into a pit (dims 3.05m x 1.5m; D 073m), largely filled with silts, that may have brought water to the trough. A sample from a secondary fill of the trough produced a C14 date of Cal. BC 2276-2036, and a sample from the upper fill of the large pit produced a C14 date of Cal. BC 1208-1009. This suggests two discrete phases at the site while two sherds of Neolithic carinated bowls recovered from the topsoil indicate early settlement in the vicinity. The enclosure (WX026-080001-) and hut-sites (WX026-080002-; WX026-080003-) are c. 160m to the SW. (Hardy and McNamara 2012; Gallagher 2013) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 29 November, 2013