Kiln - corn-drying

The National Monuments Service's description

Systematic archaeological testing (16E0451) by Deirdre Murphy of the development area within Piercetown explored the larger enclosures (excavations.ie 2016:463). This programme also identified a third enclosure and three other potential, but smaller, archaeological areas. Final archaeological monitoring (16E0451) by Deirdre Murphy of the removal of topsoil identified further features throughout the large development area, but most of these were either related to the identified monuments or to drainage and almost all were resolved under the original licence (excavations.ie 2016:463). A cereal-drying kiln was excavated in Area 2. It was an irregularly-shaped area (dims 8.6m NE-SW x 1m; max. D 0.68m) and consisted of a flue (Wth 0.6m) connecting the firing and drying chambers. The kiln had four fills of silty clays with charcoal or ash and there were two recuts of the bowl. Plentiful evidence of cereals was recovered, and a sample produced a C14 date of 1020-1160 cal. AD. (Murphy 2019a 11, 17-18)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 3 November 2021

References

Murphy, Deirdre 2019a Archaeological Monitoring Report, Piercetown, Co. Meath. Licence: 16E0451. Unpublished report, Archaeological Consultancy Services