Fulacht fia

The National Monuments Service's description

On generally level ground, in low‐lying and poorly drained, rough pasture, bounded by the old N7 to W and a housing estate to S. Fulacht fia (LI006-107001-) in Area A was located to NW. Not depicted on OS historic mapping. Identified by Aegis in 2006 during test trenching (Ministerial Direction Number A026, NRA Reg. E2329) prior to the construction of the Southern Limerick Ring-Road and excavated in the same year by Áine Richardson as part of Rich Hill 1 (Richardson 2009, 4).
The fulacht fia in Area B was located in the SE area of the site. It consisted of a burnt mound and four pits (ibid, 4). The remains of the burnt mound were irregular-shaped (9.5m NE-SW; 6.5m NW-SE; D 0.2-0.5m) and had been damaged by ploughing, where it was patchy in appearance (ibid, 8). The mound consisted of heat-shattered stone and charcoal inclusions. A sample of alder charcoal taken from a secure context of one of the pits was radiocarbon dated to 2836 – 2493 cal BC (2σ) (UBA‐12327) and returned the use of the site to the Late Neolithic period (ibid, 8). At least one of the pits is assumed to have been the trough. Specialist analysis of a polished stone axe head recovered from topsoil across this area suggested potential Mesolithic activity (ibid, 4).

See attached location plan from excavation report.

Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly

Date of upload: 3 July 2020

References

Richardson, Á. 2009 N7 Nenagh to Limerick high quality dual carriageway: Archaeological resolution project, Mountshannon Site 1. License No. A026/176, E2329. Final excavation report. Unpublished report submitted to the National Monuments Service, Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Dublin.