Fulacht fia

The National Monuments Service's description

Located in a level landscape on the E bank of the S-N Skane River, but on older course meandered c. 60-80m to the E and the area would be easily flooded. Archaeological testing (04E1499) on the line of a sewage pipe identified potential archaeological monuments (Tobin 2007), and this site was subsequently excavated (05E0077) by Red Tobin. A subrectangular pit (dims 1.8m x 1.1m; max. D 0.6m) with a rounded base and a basal layer of silt (D 0.3m) was sealed by two layers of broken and burnt stones with silt. An adjacent pit (max. diam. 1.25m; D 0.17m) contained two silt layers with some charcoal and stone inclusions. Two pits (diam. 1m; D 0.4m: diam. 1.2m; D 0.4m) c. 2-4m to the NW had similar fills of silts with small amounts of burnt stone and charcoal. These four pits were sealed by a widespread silt layer, within which was a small pit (diam. 0.8m; max. D 0.3m) at the E edge of the excavation. A fragment of hazel from this pit produced a C14 date of 2480-2290 Cal. BC. A true trough (dims 1.7m x 1.4m; D 0.3m) with straight sides and stake-holes in its base and a large amount of wood in its fill of black organic clay was topped by a piece of collapsed wicker. A piece of hazel above the wickerwork yielded a C14 date of 2140-1920 Cal. BC. A pit (diam. 1.32m; max. D 0.55m) c. 7m NE of the trough at the N edge of the excavation was probably contemporary with it. An extensive burnt mound layer covered most of the area (max. diam. 11m; T 0.2m). Burnt mound (ME037-050----) is c. 100m to the N. (Fallon 2010, 11-15)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 9 April, 2019

References

Fallon, D. 2010 Final Report on Archaeological Excavation, Balreask 1-3, Balreask Townland, Co. Meath. Dunshahaughlin to Castletown Tara Sewerage Scheme. Licence No. 05E0077. Unpublished report, CRDS

Tobin, R. 2007. Dunshaughlin to Castletown Tara: Testing. In I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 2004: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 310-11, No. 1236. Dublin, Wordwell

Tobin, R. 2008 Balreask.. Burnt Mounds. In I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 2005: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 282, No. 1155. Dublin, Wordwell