Habitation site

The National Monuments Service's description

Identified during archaeological monitoring associated with the Limerick Main Drainage Scheme. Excavated under licence 00E0506 by Edmond O’Donovan (O’Donovan 2000), the results were summarised as following; ‘The site consisted of a series of subcircular pits, post- and stake-holes, bisected by a linear ditch. In all, 48 features were excavated: 19 post-holes, 18 pits, 10 stake-holes and a ditch. Many of these features showed signs of truncation. Topsoil had been removed from the field surface in previous years in preparation for the groundworks associated with Rathbane golf-course. The features were located within an area measuring 33m east–west by 17m. Most of the features were uniformly filled with a natural deposit of mid to dark brown/grey, silty clay. Five of the pits had been deliberately backfilled (with heat-shattered sandstone and small fragments of burnt animal bone), while six contained evidence of in situ heating/burning. The pits averaged 1.2m x 1.1m in plan and 0.3m in depth and were all subcircular, shallow and typically flat-based. The post-holes averaged 0.4m x 0.4m in plan and 0.3m in depth. Four of these were stone-packed (www.excavations.ie; O'Donovan 2002, 190). Subsequent to post excavation analysis it was possible to propose a building plan for the post and stake holes identified. The building measured 12.7m east-west and 5m north-south. Radiocarbon dating of charcoal from a pit indicated occupation at the site between 1253-1003 BC (O’Donovan 2002, 28-29).

Compiled by: Martin Fitzpatrick

Date upload: 26 June 2020

References

O’Donovan, E. 2002 Archaeological Excavation at Rathbane South and Banemore, Co. Limerick. Unpublished report (Licence No. 00E0431 & 00E0506), submitted by Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd. on behalf of Limerick Corporation to the National Monuments Service, Dúchas.

O'Donovan, E. 2002 Banemore: Prehistoric settlement-related remains. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2000: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 190, no. 575. Bray. Wordwell.