Kiln - corn-drying

The National Monuments Service's description

This kiln (52) is located at the N end of the W section of ditch from the ring-ditch (ME038-071007-) and c. 20m N of the central barrow (ME038-071001-). It is presumed that the kiln cut through the ditch but this is not absolutely certain. The kiln is an oval feature (dims 2.05m NW-SE; 1.45m NE-SW) with only two fills, and only small traces of charcoal. Two barley grains were recovered from it, and these produced a C14 date of 409-575 cal. AD (BETA 246970). The kiln overlay an earlier kiln (66) which was an oval pit (dims 2.15m NW-SE; 0.6m NE-SW; with vertical sides around the deeper NW end. The upper fills were burnt from the kiln above but all the fills contained charcoal and burnt clay. The lowest fill provided a C14 date of 420-601 cal. AD (BETA 246971). Two vertical cuts (diam. 0.25m) ran through the hardened upper deposits and were filled with softer clays with charcoal, charred barley grains and occasional burnt animal bone. A sample of barley from this produced a date of 427-609 cal. AD (BETA 246971). (Rathbone 2009, 19-21)

True location: ITM (695953, 754830)

See the attached plans adapted from Rathbone (2009, figs 8, 14)
_1 Site plan;
_4 Corn-drying kilns;

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 21 April 2022

References

Rathbone, S. 2009 M3 Clonee - North of Kells, Contract 2 Dunshaughlin - Navan. Final Report on the Archaeological Excavation of Garretstown 2, Co. Meath. Licence: E003061. Unpublished report, Archaeological Consultancy Services