Fulacht fia

The National Monuments Service's description

In a marshy field on the edge of wetlands to the W. Excavated in 2006 in advance of the M8/N8 Cullahill to Cashel Road Improvement Scheme (Excavation licence no. E2388). A spread of burnt material (L 12.05m N-S; Wth 8.65m; D 0.14m) composed of black moderately compact sandy silt with frequent burnt stone and charcoal. A central subcircular pit (L 1m; Wth 0.6m; D 0.2-0.25m) beneath the mound was truncated by a rectangular trough (L 1.7m; Wth 1.4m; D 0.24m) with vertical sides and a flat base. There were circular post-holes in each of the four corners and stake-holes in conjunction with three of these. A timber sample from this trough returned a radiocarbon date of 1010-830 cal BC (Poz-24997). A second trough (L 2m; Wth 0.8m; D 0.21m) located to the W had sloping sides and a bowl-shaped base. It was filled with loosely compacted brown peat with occasional stones and timbers. An oval feature (L 1.02m; Wth 0.61m) defined by a series of small stake-holes was located just to the W of the two troughs. Its function is unknown. Another fulacht fia (KK008-194----) was excavated c. 20 to the E. (Hardy 2009, 267, no. 1041; Hardy and Green 2009)

Compiled by: Mary Tunney

Date of upload: 15 October 2013

References

Hardy, C. and Green, B. 2009 M8/N8 Cullahill to Cashel Road Improvement Scheme: Archaeological Resolution. Final report. Ministerial Direction: A027/000 Registration No.: E2388. Site AR 46, Islands Townland, Co. Kilkenny. Unpublished excavation report submitted to the National Monuments Service, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Dublin.

Hardy, C. 2009 Site AR45, Islands. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2006: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 267, no. 1041. Dublin. Wordwell.