Fulacht fia

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a gentle N-facing slope. Topsoil stripping (02E0194) in advance of a gas pipeline identified a large area (dims 46m E-W; 10.5m N-S; D 0.3m) of heat-shattered stone (BGE: 1A/25/1) which was completely excavated (02E0687). It resolved itself into two fulachta fia, the single troughs of which were 25m apart E-W. The W spread (dims 12.5m E-W; 7m N-S; max. T 0.1m) had a circular pit (diam. 1.1-1.15m; D 0.55m) with compact clay lining the base overlaid by charcoal-rich silty clay that had burnt stone inclusions. An ENE-WSW field ditch cut across the mound and the upper levels of the trough and had a single fill of silty clay with charcoal and burnt stone inclusions. The trough produced a C14 date of 2290-2020 cal. BC, while a sample from the drain provided a date of 2190-1950 cal. BC. (Byrne 2002, 2004, 2007)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 8 March, 2018

References

Byrne, E. 2004 Arodstown (BGE 1A/25/1) Fulachta fia, 02E0687. In I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 2002: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 398, No. 1413. Bray, Wordwell

Byrne, E. 2007 No. 1413. Arrodstown, Fulachta fia. in Grogan, E., O'Donnell, L, and P. Johnston (eds) The Bronze Age landscapes of the Pipeline to the West: an integrated archaeological and environmental assessment, 315-16. Bord Gáis Eireann and Wordwell, Bray

Byrne, E. 2002 Gas Pipeline to the West, Section 1A Archaeological Stratigraphic Report, Arodstown, Co. Meath. Licence No. 02E0687. Site ref. 1A/25/1. Unpublished report, Margaret Gowen and Co.