Jennings, RP and Coughlan, T (2011) Archaeological excavation report, E3460 Danesfort 11, County Kilkenny. Project Report. National Monuments Service. Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Dublin...

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Abstract

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd (IAC), funded by the National Roads Authority (NRA) through Kilkenny County Council, undertook an excavation at the site of AR088, Danesfort 11 along the proposed N9/N10 Kilcullen to Waterford Scheme, Phase 4 – Knocktopher to Powerstown (Figure 1). The following report describes the results of archaeological excavation at that site. The area was fully excavated by Richard Jennings under Ministerial Direction A032 and Excavation Registration Number E3460 issued by the DOEHLG in consultation with the National Museum of Ireland for IAC. The fieldwork took place between the 21 May and 29 June 2007. The excavation identified a number of pits one of which may have functioned as a trough. The oval trough contained a series of stakeholes in the base of the cut which may be associated with a wattle lining. The trough and two adjacent shallow pits contained heat shattered stone within their fills and while no definitive mound was identified on site, it is interpreted that these features were related to burnt mound activity. To the south-west of the trough and two shallow pits a further possible trough and three pits were recorded. These features also exhibited heat shattered stones in their fills and may have been associated with burnt mound activity. The possible trough was oval and two stakeholes were identified at the base which may show evidence of a possible wattle lining. The site was transected by a post-medieval boundary ditch which truncated the area of the second group of pits. A sample of charred hazelnut from pit fill C13 was radiocarbon dated. The 2 sigma calibrated result was 2467–2295BC (UBA 15560). Danesfort 11 is an important site locally in terms of our understanding of the wider early Bronze Age landscape. Along with other excavated sites from the N9/N10 Phase 4 it represents further evidence of prehistoric activity in the immediate area. This activity has been interpreted as burnt mound type activity but the site is not located in a typical burnt mound physical setting and did not produce classic burnt mound features, indeed the absence of an actual mound was significant. In this regard the site also provides an interesting insight into the variety of site types and features associated with burnt mounds and hot-stone technology.

Item Type:	Monograph (Project Report)
Subjects:	C Auxiliary Sciences of History > CC Archaeology
Divisions:	Biological & Environmental Sciences (from Sep 19)
Publisher:	National Monuments Service. Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Dublin..
Date Deposited:	20 May 2021 11:22
Last Modified:	26 Jan 2022 16:07
DOI or ID number:	10.7486/DRI.rb699t95c
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/14924

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