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 spread of oxidised subsoil and burnt stone (1A/26/1), which extended outside the way-leave as a visible mound (H 0.4m) and was only partially excavated (02E0689). Excavation recorded two rectangular troughs (dims 2.2m E-W; 1.44m N-S; D 0.42m; 2.1m x 0.8m plus; D 0.4m) retained negative impressions of timber lining, and a large oval pit (dims 4.8m NW-SE; 4.05m NE-SW; max. D 0.6m) served the N trough as a sump. All the cut features were filled with a charcoal-rich, silty grey sand with sandstone gravel. A flint blade was recovered from the burnt mound material, and radiocarbon dates of 2285-2041 cal. BC and 2337-2138 cal. BC were obtained from the mound and the N trough respectively. (Byrne 2002, 5-8; 2004; Byrne 2007)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 8 March, 2018

References

Byrne, E. 2004 Clonymeath: Fulacht fia, 02E0689. In I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 2002: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 407-08, No. 1440. Bray, Wordwell

Byrne, E. 2002 Gas Pipeline to the West, Section 1A Archaeological Stratigraphic Report, Clonymeath, Galtrim, Co. Meath. Licence No. 02E0689. Site ref. 1A/26/1. Unpublished report, Margaret Gowen and Co.

Byrne, E. 2007 No. 1440. Clonymeath, Fulacht 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, 322. Bord Gáis Eireann and Wordwell, Bray