Hearth

The National Monuments Service's description

Identified in centre-line testing (E4110) in advance of the M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy road scheme, and set aside for resolution as Bessmount 1 (Hardy et al. 2010, 123-4). It is situated towards the top of a NE-facing slope. Full excavation (E4220) by Y. Whitty recorded a hearth (dims 1.67m E-W; 1m N-S; T 0.24m) with fire-reddened material extending outside it, and similar material was recovered 10m to the NE. The upper fill of the hearth produced a C14 date of cal. BC 1500-1412. Nineteen sherds of the medieval Leinster cooking ware, a post-medieval coin or token and copious slag from metal-production was recovered from the topsoil. (Hull and Ruttle 2012; Whitty 2013)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 28 November, 2013

References

Hull, G. and Ruttle, E. 2012 M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy scheme, Co. Wexford. E4220, Bessmount 1. Stage (IV) Final Excavation Report for Wexford County Council. Unpublished report, TVAS (Ireland).

Whitty, Y. 2013 Bessmount 1: possible metal-working site. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2010: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 228, No. 721. Dublin. Wordwell.

Hardy, C., Nugent, L., Homan Reid, R; O'Liathain, N; Whitty, Y.; and Coleman, C. 2010 N11 Gorey to Enniscorthy scheme. Archaeological Consultancy Services, Stage (1)a. E4110. Testing report for Wexford County Council. Unpublished. TVAS (Ireland).