Kiln — corn-drying in Camlin

Located in the valley of a SE-NW stream with an E-W section of the stream c. 35m to the S. Centre-line testing (E4067) in advance of the N25 New Ross by-pass identified a sub-triangular pit with steep sides filled with sandy clay that had some charcoal inclusions but the surrounding subsoil was oxidized (Doyle et al. 2010, 31). It was set aside for resolution as Camlin 1 and completely excavated (E4106). The pit (dims 2.1m E-W; 1.4m N-S; D 0.2m) contained fills of sandy silts and clays with charcoal inclusions where a hone stone and a hammer-stone were found. It is interpreted as a primitive corn-drying kiln, and some charcoal-rich spreads nearby are interpreted as rake-out. Five pits (dims 0.4m x 0.38m; D 0.13m to 2.6m x 1.8m; D 0.2m) in the vicinity were probably connected with the kiln, and a narrow curvilinear trench (L 10.6m; Wth 0.5m; D 0.3m) to the E is interpreted as the foundation of a wind-break. Fifteen sherds of medieval pottery were recovered in the topsoil. (Long et al. 2010, 8-12; Hackett 2013) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 24 September, 2013