Hut site

The National Monuments Service's description

Structure D, located just 5m N of Structure C, is a D-shaped arc (dims c. 4m N-S; c. 3m E-W) of 12 post and stakeholes associated with a subcircular roasting pit (dims 1.14m x 0.92m; F 0.36m) that has oxidized edges and a basal fill of burnt soil and charcoal mixed with yellow silty clay. The main fill was a black sandy silt with frequent charcoal and heat-affected stones beneath black silty sand which was sealed with a layer of flat stones. This was beneath a layer of brown silty sand with burnt bone fragments. A sample of alder charcoal from the roasting pit provided a C14 date of 1923-1756 cal. BC (UBA 11096). The roasting pit is at the W edge of a D-shaped structure defined by an arc of stakeholes N-E-S with rather formless postholes that may have been re-used many times just N and S of the roasting pit, and two internal stakeholes. One pit (0.58m x 0.4m; D 0.12m) was on the line of the perimeter at S and another (dims 0.68m x 0.62m; D 0.18m) was c. 1m outside the structure at SE. This produced two sherds of pottery in the vase urn tradition and a sample of ash charcoal provided a C14 date of 1948-1776 cal. BC (UBA 11095). The radiocarbon determinations place this structure slightly later than Structure C but contemporary with fulacht fia B, c. 30m to the NW. (McLoughlin 2010, 13-15)

See the attached plans adapted from McLoughlin 2010 (figs 5, 11)
ME017-089_1 Location;
ME017-089004-_1 Plan;

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 23 March 2022

References

McLoughlin, G. 2010 M3 Clonee – North of Kells, Contract 4, Navan to Kells and Kells Bypass. Final Report on Cookstown Great 3, Co. Meath. Licence: E003139. Unpublished report, Irish Archaeological Consultancy