Fulacht fia

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a level landscape, with a canalized N-S stream c. 50m to the E. Archaeological testing (04E0918) by D. Nelis (2005) in Testing Area 9 of Contract 4 of the M3 motorway identified burnt mound material (excavations.ie 2004:1213) that was excavated (E003138) by G. McLoughlin (2010) as Cookstown Great 2 during January and February 2007 (excavations.ie 2007:1291) when an area of 9600 square metres was opened and three prehistoric phases were identified. Two isolated pits (dims 1.48m x 1.27m; D 0.21m: 1.2m x 0.73m; D 0.16m) that were filled with heat-affected stones are interpreted as possible troughs, and a sample of hazel charcoal from one provided a C14 date of 2337-2144 cal. BC (UBA 11083). Although there is no burnt mound surviving and no other features are associated with the pits, this is probably the remains of a fulacht fia dating to the Early Bronze Age. (McLoughlin 2010, 5-6)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload; 23 March 2022

References

Nelis, D. 2005 M3 Clonee-North of Kells; Contract 4, Navan - Kells and Kells Bypass. Report on Archaeological Assessment at Testing Area 9 in Cookstown Great, County Meath. Licence: 04E0918. Unpublished report, Irish Archaeological Consultancy

McLoughlin, G. 2010 M3 Clonee – North of Kells, Contract 4, Navan to Kells and Kells Bypass. Final Report on Cookstown Great 2, Co. Meath. Licence: E003138. Unpublished report, Irish Archaeological Consultancy;