Fulacht fia

The National Monuments Service's description

On the summit of a hill, to the N of a spring well. A mound (13m E-W; 12m N-S; max. D 0.3m) of heat-shattered stones and charcoal-enriched soil was discovered during archaeological testing in advance of the construction of the N8 Rathcormac-Fermoy Bypass and was excavated in 2003. Excavation revealed three successive subrectangular inter-cutting troughs associated with the mound. The main fill of the earliest trough has been radiocarbon dated to 2400-2140 cal. BC. A large concentration of at least 40 pits and stake-holes occurred under the mound. The pits had average dimensions of 0.4m x 0.3m x 0.15m and contained charcoal-flecked clay fills. Many of the pits contained stones at their bases and the excavator notes that they may have been post-holes though but no pattern was discernible to suggest the presence of a house or other structure. Two other fulachtaí fia (CO035-130----, CO035-131----) lay c. 10m to the SW and c. 15m to the E, respectively. (O'Connell 2006h, 59, Burnt Mound 1; 2006i, 63-4)

The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 5' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2009).

Date of upload: 22 December 2009