Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Prehistoric site - lithic scatter
Morristownbiller, County Kildare, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Morristownbiller
- County
- Kildare
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 53.18251, -6.83173
- SMR number
- KD023-129----
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Situated on high ground, in tillage field immediately W and S of church (KD023-008----) and graveyard (KD023-008001-). Inspection of the field by David Brennan over several seasons has retrieved hundreds of flint and chert artefacts lying on the surface of the plough soil. All the lithic artefacts are now with the National Museum of Ireland. In 2009, a Neolithic stone axe (possibly Dolerite) was also found on the surface of the plough soil, approximately 60 metres downslope of the western edge of the newly discovered sub-circular shaped enclosure (KD023-128----). The late Professor Peter Woodman visited the site and recorded the scatter as a probable Early Mesolithic site (Woodman 2015, ). However, examination of the complete lithic assemblage indicates that there was activity present at this site from the Mesolithic right through to later prehistoric periods.
See attached plan showing location of lithic scatter
Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien based on details kindly provided by David Brennan
Date of upload: 04 December 2018
References
Woodman, P.C. 2015 Ireland's First Settlers: Time and the Mesolithic. Oxbow Books.
Nearby in the register
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
- Enclosureunder 1 mi
- Churchunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.