Fulacht fia

The National Monuments Service's description

Excavated in 1999 in advance of the development of an industrial and retail complex on Little Island in Cork harbour. There were no visible remains of the levelled fulacht fia prior to the removal of the topsoil. Excavation revealed a D-shaped spread (10.46m E-W; straight W side: L 9.6m N-S; D 0.1-0.45m) of heat-shattered stones and charcoal-enriched soil covering a trough which consisted of two conjoined unlined pits. The western pit was circular (diam. 1.45m; D 0.5m) and the eastern pit (2m E-W; 1.92m N-S; D 0.25m) was subcircular and they were divided by a stone slab (L c. 0.6m). Both pits were filled with charcoal-enriched silt and heat-shattered stones. Three small stake-holes were found to the S of the trough while a post-hole was exposed close its N edge. Four pits were also found in the vicinity of the trough, the largest of which may also have functioned as a trough. A modern N-S land drain crossed the fulacht fia off-centre to the W. Radiocarbon determinations place the use of this fulacht fia in the Late Bronze Age. A possible corn-drying kiln (CO075-084----), dating to the early medieval period, and two linear features (CO075-085----, CO075-086----), that were interpreted as flues, immediately to the E were also excavated. (McCarthy 2000, 25; 2004a, 51-66)

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

Date of upload: 22 December 2009