Kiln - corn-drying

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a slight S-facing slope and at the N edge of a marshy area. Archaeological testing (04E0584) by N. Fairburn (2004) at Testing Area 11 of Contract 3 of the M3 motorway identified archaeological material (excavations.ie 2004:1158) that was excavated (E003116) by M. Mossop (Mossop et al. 2009) as Ardbraccan 2 (excavations.ie 2006:1487) during May to July 2006 when a fulacht fia, a rath with internal hut-sites, and an external hearth and cereal drying kiln were recorded. Elements of four field systems were also present.

South of the rath a hearth (dims 1m x 0.8m) that was cut by an E-W ditch from the third field system included burnt bone, heat-cracked stone and charcoal. A sample of Maloideae from it provided a C14 date of 614-771 cal. AD (Beta 247124). About 10m to the S there was also what might be a keyhole-shaped cereal-drying kiln (dims 2m x 0.9m; D 0.3m) that was cut by a N-S ditch from the second field system. It had an oxidized base and contained fills of charred oats, barley and wheat seeds as well as burnt animal bone. A C14 date of 647-775 cal. AD (Beta 247125) was derived from a sample of cherry charcoal. (Mossop et al. 2009, 6)

See the attached interpretive plan from Mossop (et al. 2009, fig. 18)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 25 March 2022

References

Mossop, M., Ginn, V. and E. Ruddle 2008 M3 Clonee – North of Kells, Contract 3, Navan to Kells and Kells Bypass. Final Report on Ardbraccan 3, Co. Meath. Licence: E003117. Unpublished report, Archaeological Consultancy Services

Fairburn, N. 2004 M3 Clonee-North of Kells; Contract 3, Navan Bypass. Report on Archaeological Assessment at Testing Area 11 in Ardbraccan, County Meath. Licence: 04E0584. Unpublished report, Archaeological Consultancy Services