Fulacht fia

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a fairly level landscape. Archaeological monitoring (98E0352) by Donald Murphy of topsoil removal over an area of about 8 hectares (c. 20 acres) in the N borrowing area of a mining development identified four spreads of burnt mound material and other features that were completely excavated by the same archaeologist under the same license (excavations.ie 1999:708). Area 4 presented as a thin spread of burnt stone (dims 15m N-S; 10.5m E-W; max. T 0.07m) with a denser concentration of burnt stone and black silt (diam. 2.5m) at the irregularly-shaped trough (dims 1.8m x 0.5-1m; D 0.42m). There was a gully (Wth 0.25m; D 0.05m; L 0.9m) in its base at the N end. There were three stake-holes in the base of the trough and two others on the ground surface around it. Two small pits (diam. c. 0.6m; D 0.26m) c. 10m to the E also had silts with charcoal and burnt stone. No artefacts were recovered. (Murphy 1999, 10-1)

See the attached site plan (_01) and plan of trough (_02) from Murphy (1999, figs 13, 14)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 24 March 2023

Murphy, Donald 1999 Report on Archaeological Excavation at Randalstown, Co. Meath. Licence: 98E0352 ext. Unpublished report, Archaeological Consultancy Services