Fulacht fia

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture. Excavated in 1982-3 (Lehane 1988, 85-6, site 1) in advance of drainage works. Prior to excavation, site identified as a horseshoe-shaped mound of burnt material (ibid., 83). Removal of turf revealed roughly circular spread of burnt material (c. 11m N-S; c. 11.7m E-W) with slight central depression. Excavation confined to area of depression and exposed rectangular, plank-built trough (1.85m N-S; 0.7m E-W); portion of floor and parts of side planks well preserved. Trough set in pit (c. 2.3m N-S; c. 1.3m E-W) which was partially backfilled to hold trough in position. Base of trough filled to depth of c. 0.36m by fire-shattered stones in a blue-black clay loam matrix, overlain with c. 0.44m of mound material, sealed by layer of cemented buff clay (D c. 0.24m) over which was a further thin spread of mound material. A number of stake-holes cut into subsoil in NW edge of pit were tentatively identified as 'traces of racks for hanging meat' (ibid., 85). Samples of timber from one of the side planks of the trough was radiocarbon dated to 3850±30BP (GrN-11803) (ibid., 86). Mound of burnt material still visible when site inspected in 1986. Second fulacht fiadh (10257) c. 30m to NE; third (10258) c. 40m to E; fourth (10265) c. 50m to E; fifth (10729) c. 140m to ENE; sixth (10260) c. 100m to N; seventh (10259) c. 120m to N; eighth 10261) c. 200m to N; ninth (10264) c. 250m to NE and tenth (10262) c. 270m to NNW.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 4: North Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2000). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009