Fulacht fia

The National Monuments Service's description

A large oval pit (7.7m x 2.9m; max. D 0.61m) containing a rectangular wooden trough and a possible hearth was discovered during archaeological monitoring in advance of the construction of the N22 Ballincollig Bypass and was excavated in 2002. The trough (3.16m x 1.4m; D 0.63m) was in the W side of the pit and was constructed from wooden planks on a bed of organic material and its sides were sealed with a thick orange clay. An additional plank was added across the width of the trough, creating two rectangular areas and possibly indicating that the trough had been used in two phases. Heat-shattered stones and charcoal-enriched soil were found in the smaller western compartment (1.2m x 0.64m) while the eastern compartment had filled up naturally with peat and clay. The possible hearth (1.8m x 0.79m; T 0.02m) was oval in shape and consisted of a deposit of clay with occasional inclusions of small stones, gravel and ash. A second oval pit (2.39m x 0.68m; D 0.28m) was revealed to the SW of the larger pit and contained a fill of gravelly clay with frequent inclusions of heat-shattered stones and flecks of charcoal. A small oval burnt spread (0.52m x 0.4m; D 0.03m) was exposed on the NE edge of the larger pit. This is one of a group of six fulachtaí fia and burnt mounds (CO073-137----, CO073-139----, CO073-140----, CO073-142----, CO073-143----) which were excavated here, the closest of which is another fulacht fia (CO073-142----) c. 30m to the E. (Russell 2004c, 77-8, site 6; 2004d, 14-16)

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

Date of upload: 22 December 2009