Charcoal-making site

The National Monuments Service's description

A shall oval pit (4m x 1.6m; D 0.28m) with a flat base aligned N-S was excavated in 2004 (Casey 2006, Licence no. 04E0052) in advance of the N18 Ennis bypass. It was situated in a sheltered area close to the bottom of a slope. Its charcoal-rich fill indicated that two fires had been lit in quick succession. Elm charcoal returned a radiocarbon date of AD 1010-1180 (Beta-211577). The size and contents of the pit suggest that it functioned as a charcoal-production pit (Casey 2007, 32, no. 137; Bermingham, Casey, Hull and Taylor 2012, 73-4)

Compiled by: Mary Tunney

Date of upload: 10 October 2016

References

Bermingham, N., Casey, M., Hull, G. and Taylor, K. 2012 Early medieval and later medieval excavations. In Bermingham, N., Hull, G. and Taylor, K. Beneath the Banner: archaeology of the M18 Ennis Bypass and N85 Western Relief Road, Co. Clare. NRA Scheme monographs 10.

Casey, M. 2006 N18 Ennis Bypass and N85 Western Relief Road Site AR106, Barefield, Co. Clare. Licence no. 04E0052. Final Archaeological Excavation Report for Clare County Council. Unpublished report. National Monuments Section, Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Dublin.

Casey, M. 2007 Site AR106, Barefield. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2004: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 32, No. 137. Bray. Wordwell.