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 (excavation.ie 2016:463). A keyhole-shaped cereal-drying kiln in Area 9 and 55m S of Site 5 (ME050-038----) is likely to be associated with the three kilns recorded from that enclosure. It was an oval cut (dims 2.42m N-S; 1m E-W; max. D 0.42m) with a short flue extending S and had five fills, including an oxidised clay at the bottom. A pit (dims 1.7m x 1.4m; D 0.37m) outside Site 5 and containing three layers with oxidised clays is probably a waste pit and also connected with Site 5. (Murphy 2019a, 15, 21, 23)

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 Unpublished report, Archaeological Consultancy Services