N7 Nenagh to Limerick High Quality Dual Carriageway Archaeological Resolution Project Annaholty Site 4, E2312, Co

N7 Nenagh to Limerick High Quality Dual Carriageway Archaeological Resolution Project Annaholty Site 4, E2312, Co. Tipperary Final Excavation Report

Author: Nial O’Neill with contributions by Maura O’Malley and Heidi Jacobsen Director: Liam McKinstry

Site Chainage Ordnance Datum NGR Annaholty Site 4 8300 49.59 169265/164764

Date: August 2009 Client: Limerick County Council Headland Project Code: NNL06 Townland: Annaholty Parish: Kilcomenty Barony: Owney & Arra OS 6” Sheet No: TN‐031 Report Status: Approved

N7 Nenagh to Limerick High Quality Dual Carriageway Archaeological Resolution Project Annaholty Site 4, E2312, Co. Tipperary Final Excavation Report

Author: Nial O’Neill with contributions by Maura O’Malley and Heidi Jacobsen Director: Liam McKinstry

Site Chainage Ordnance Datum NGR Annaholty Site 4 8300 49.59 169265/164764

Date: August 2009 Client: Limerick County Council Headland Project Code: NNL06 Townland: Annaholty Parish: Kilcomenty Barony: Owney & Arra OS 6” Sheet No: TN‐031 Report Status: Approved

Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

CONTENTS PAGE

Executive Summary 3

1 Introduction 4

2 Site description and location 4

3 Historical and archaeological background 4

4 Aims and methodology 7

5 Excavation results 8

6 Discussion 9

7 Conclusion 14

8 Archive quantities 15

References 16

Acknowledgements 18

List of Figures

1 Location of Annaholty Site 4, E2312 2 Location of Annaholty Site 4, E2312 on RMP extract 3 E2312 Layout of site 4 Plan and southeast‐facing section of probable trough (013) 5 West‐facing section of spread (005) and pits (004) and (007) 6 Plan and south‐facing section of (009)

List of Plates

1 Pre‐excavation shot of site, southwest‐facing 2 Working shot of site clean back, southeast‐facing 3 Mid‐excavation of probable trough (013), northwest‐facing 4 Section of (015), southeast‐facing 5 Mid‐excavation of (004), (005) and (007), east‐facing

1 Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

Appendices

Appendix 1 Context register Appendix 2 Sample register Appendix 3 Photographic register Appendix 4 Drawing register Appendix 5 Matrix Appendix 6 Palaeoenvironmental samples assessment report Appendix 7 Radiocarbon dating results

2 Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

Executive Summary

This report presents the results of archaeological investigations carried out on behalf of Limerick County Council as part of the N7 Nenagh to Limerick Archaeological Resolution Contract. Phase 1 test trenching of the route was carried out by Judith Carroll and Company Ltd and Aegis Archaeology Ltd. between January and March 2006, under Ministerial Direction Number A026. Seven sites of archaeological potential were identified in the townland of Annaholty including the one which is the subject of this report, which during testing was assigned the sub‐scheme number A026/159. For the purposes of excavation this site was given the registration number E2312 and named Annaholty Site 4. The Minister for the Environment, Heritage & Local Government, following consultation with the National Museum of Ireland, directed that Phase 2 Archaeological Resolution should proceed.

Archaeological testing carried out under Test‐Trenching by Aegis Archaeology Ltd under Ministerial Direction Numbers A026/159 on this site in 2006 identified a ‘burnt mound’ (Collins 2006).

Full archaeological resolution was conducted on this site between 16 and 25 January 2007. This revealed a probable trough, three pits and four discreet deposits all composed of, or containing frequent charcoal and heat‐affected stone. The middle fill of the probable trough returned a calibrated date range of 1612‐1501 cal BC (2σ) (UBA‐11751) providing evidence for activity in the early to middle Bronze Age. One of the four discreet deposits to the south of the trough returned a calibrated date range of 1034‐1155 cal AD (2σ) (UBA‐11752) from a single charred cereal grain suggesting this site saw activity again in the medieval period.

A summary Report of works on the site was completed by Headland Archaeology in July 2007. The preliminary excavation report was completed and submitted to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the National Museum of Ireland in January 2009.

3 Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

1 Introduction

The scheme consists of 35.7 km of High Quality Dual Carriageway. It starts at the existing Newport Junction in the townlands of Carrowkeel and Mountshannon and runs north‐ eastwards towards Nenagh (Carrigatogher), excluding two areas of bog in Lisnagry (Drominboy) and in Gooig (Annaholty) and continues to Ballintotty at the end of the Nenagh Bypass, which will be widened. The work described here was undertaken under the N7 Nenagh to Limerick Archaeological Resolution Contract. The project is funded by the Irish Government and the European Union, through Limerick County Council/ National Roads Authority and under the National Development Plan 2000‐2006. Headland Archaeology Ltd. was commissioned by Limerick County Council to undertake the works.

An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was prepared in 2003, with Margaret Gowen & Co. compiling the Architectural and Cultural Heritage Assessment for the route. This formed Section 5.12 of the EIS produced as a joint venture by RPS MCOS Scetauroute. Full archaeological resolution was conducted on this site between 16 and 25 January 2007.

2 Site description and location (Figure 1)

Annaholty Site 4 (NGR 169265/164764, chainage 8300), was situated on the edge of a low depression within the landscape. This area is between the Arra Mountains to the north and west and the Silvermines mountains to the south and east. The rolling nature of the terrain along the road take in this area is broken on a number of occasions by thinly covered protrusions of bedrock. Glacial sands and gravels of mixed sandstone‐shale composition, and limestone in places, are characteristic of the rolling lowlands in a broad area stretching between Newport and Birdhill. Locally the topography is interspersed with small sandstone hillocks out‐cropping frequently through the gently rolling glacial till. The site was under rough pasture at the time of excavation. The land around Annaholty Site 4 rose gradually out of this depression up to a number of low hills especially to the south where an east/west oriented local road was located. The field in which the site was excavated was in use as rough pasture for cattle. The area was covered with a thick layer of peat (over a meter thick in the western parts of the site) which overlaid natural clay sub‐soils. The site and its immediate environs were extremely water‐logged which was due to the topography, which acted like a bowl and retained much of the water which drained into it from the higher ground. Annaholty Site 4 was located within close proximity to two other sites, Annaholty Site 3, E2314 which was located c. 133 m to the northeast on much lower ground and Annaholty Site 5, E2326 which was situated c. 266 m to the south on the other side of the local road.

3 Historical and archaeological background

The archaeological potential of the townland had been documented in the EIS for the project (Gowen 2003). Here it was noted that from the prehistoric period the archaeological potential was represented by stray finds recovered by workmen in the 1940s. Exact find spots of most finds are unknown; finds include a Neolithic spearhead (NMI Ref: 1943:133), fragments of two polished stone axes (NMI Ref: 1944:257, 258), a bronze spearhead (NMI Ref: 1947:228) and a leather shoe (NMI Ref: 1941:1042). The bronze spearhead is recorded as having been found at ‘Toreen’, which represents ‘Toreheen Island’ in Annaholty townland. Additionally, the North Munster Antiquarian Journal (1950) also records the discovery and excavation of a

4 Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

timber road or togher (TN031:090) in a bog during the resurfacing of the N7 road at Annaholty in the 1940’s (Hanrahan 1950).

The recorded archaeological heritage from the Early Christian period consists of a rectangular enclosure site (TN031:050) situated c. 300m southeast and a ‘Children’s burial grounds’ (Killeen) (TN031:049) situated c. 400m to the northwest of Annaholty Site 4 (Figure 2).

The EIS contained no historical or archaeological information relating to the later medieval and post medieval periods in the area.

The townland is situated to the northeast of Gooig in the Parish of Kilcomenty in the Oweny and Arra Barony, Co. Tipperary. The townland of Annaholty is recorded on the Parish map and is dominated and surrounded by large quantities of bog.

Cartographic sources

• Down Survey maps The townland is not named on the Barony map; however, areas of bog are depicted in that part of the Parish of Kilcomenty.

• 1st edition Ordnance Survey map, 1839‐41, 6”: 1 Mile The south, northeast and northwest of this townland are dominated by bog or uncultivated ground. Toreheen Island has been recorded in the bog at the south of the townland. Some scattered small structures and a single lime kiln are recorded to the north of this island.

Annaholty House and its small associated woodland are located in the centre of the townland, a lime kiln is recorded in land to the west of the house and additional small patches of woodland have been recorded to the north of Annaholty house. Several small structures with associated areas of woodland and fields have been recorded along the roadsides of the townland as have nine lime kilns, some isolated some in clusters. Occasional gravel pits/quarries have been noted.

A burial ground ‘Kyle’ is recorded northwest of Annaholty House.

An area of land in the northeast of the townland has been given the name Rossacreena

• 2nd edition Ordnance Survey map, 1901‐2 partly revised, 1938/50 partly revised, 6”: 1 Mile The townland is quite similar on this edition of the maps, showing Toreheen Island in the south, Annaholty House in the centre and the sub‐division of Rossacreena in the northeast.

The land in the very south and north of the townland is still under bog.

The Kyle burial ground is recorded to the northwest of Annaholty House and a sub‐ rectangular enclosure or mound is recorded to the north of the house. This area is recorded as a rectangular growth of trees on the first edition maps but is here marked by hachures.

A single lime kiln is recorded in the centre of the townland.

• RMP (overlying revised 1938 edition map) The southern half of the townland and a small area in the north of the townland are dominated by bog or uncultivated land. Toreheen Island is recorded in the south and

5 Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

Annaholty House is recorded in the centre of the townland. The rectangular enclosure site (TN031:050) is recorded to the north of the house and the Kyle burial ground (TN031:049) is recorded to the northwest.

Several small structures are recorded throughout the townland and the sub‐division of Rossacreena still exists in the northeast.

• Discovery Series OS map The townland name and the enclosure site are recorded on this edition of the maps.

Documentary sources

The 1654 Civil Survey names ‘William Lord Borke Barron of Castlecon’ as the proprietor of the lands of Annagh Owlty and indeed of the whole Parish of Stradbally which was at the time a combination of arable land, meadow, pasture, timber, wood and bog valued at £300 (Simington 1938, 59).

The 1659 Census of Ireland records that there were five English inhabitants and twelve Irish inhabitants of the townland at that time in the seventeenth century (Pender 1939, 324).

The OS Name Books list variations in the spelling of Annaholty; Anaholty and Annahoulty and note that the name itself is an Anglicisation of Eanac Ollta which means the Ulsterman’s march (O’ Flanagan 1930). Alternatively it is noted that the placename may refer to the wetland nature of the townland with eanach meaning marsh and abhlta or rather abh meaning river (Gowen 2003). In the 1840’s the principal part of Annaholty was bog and the remainder under cultivation. The eastern side of the townland was known as Russachreena or Ros a crionaig which means wood of the dried thickets, or fire wood. This area was held by John Going Esq. Crag and called Russachreena to distinguish it from the other part of Annaholty held by the Misses Going. Thoureen Island or Toirtin meaning little tower or pointed hill was an island surrounded by Annaholty bog and covered with furze, located in the southwestern corner of the townland. The Kyle burial ground, a small burial ground for stillborn children and Annaholty House were located near the centre of the townland. Kyle is an Anglicisation of the Irish Cill which means church or burial ground (O’ Flanagan 1930).

The rectangular enclosure site (TN031:050) noted on cartographic sources since the first edition OS maps is situated on a hillock in an upland area. The barely discernible outline of a possible bank at the west is all that survives of this earthwork. It is suggested that it may be a landscape feature associated with the nearby Annaholty House (Farrelly & O’ Brien 2002, 304). The Kyle Burial Ground is situated at the southwest end of a northeast to southwest ridge in an upland area. A natural rise of ground has been shaped at the north to form an oval area measuring 9 m north to south and 13 m from southwest to northeast. The site is defined by a scarp with evidence of rows of un‐inscribed grave‐markers (Farrelly & O’ Brien 2002, 282).

A togher (TN031:090) has also been recorded in the townland and has been described in a short article by E. T. Hanrahan published in the North Munster Antiquarian Journal in 1950. Here follows the original piece in its entirety;

‘The following is a brief note on an old timber road excavated in bog in connection with the reconstruction of the main Limerick‐Dublin road at Annaholty, for a distance between 9.6 miles and 10.2 miles from the centre of Limerick city.

6 Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

The existing road constructed of gravel and macadam, 4ft to 5ft thick, laid horizontally over the bog, is now being replaced with a concrete slab laid on a vertical (sag) curve thereby necessitating some six feet of excavation. This excavation which was carried out with a dragline excavator was complete when the writer inspected the site, and a detailed examination of the timber road in situ was not possible. The re‐alignment of the road exposed approximately 20 yards of the old timber road, but it is believed that this construction underlies the macadam road throughout the full bog beneath...It will be seen that the timbers were covered with 2 to 3 ft of what appeared to be undisturbed (natural) bog. The portion of the timber road removed was not straight, and meandered from one side of the macadam carriageway to the other.

The main timbers consisted of whole trees or branches 6in to 1 ft in diameter, laid side by side. The length of each unit varied from about 5 to 7 ft. The ends showed evidence of having been half cut with an axe‐like instrument and then broken by bending. In some cases the ends were roughly pointed. In most instances the bark had been stripped or rotted away, but traces still adhered to a few of the smaller diameter units. The timbers were soft and waterlogged when removed and bore no discernable marks of wheels.

A number of other small pieces were recovered including wedges and pegs, the purpose or arrangement of which were not clearly established mainly because of the disturbance due to the method of excavation. In contrast to the main timbers, these small pieces were extremely hard and unaffected by water. The pegs which occurred in large numbers appeared to have been pointed with a knife like tool, while the wedges showed evidence of having been dressed with an axe or edge‐like instrument’ (Hanrahan 1950, 64).

4 Aims and methodology

The objective of the work was the excavation and recording of any archaeological features found during archaeological testing undertaken by Aegis Archaeology Ltd in 2006. Also the excavation and recording of any additional archaeological features identified within the stripped areas.

Topsoil stripping of the site was conducted using a 360° tracked machine fitted with a 1.9m wide ditching (toothless) bucket under constant archaeological supervision and a total of 339.74 m² was exposed. The resulting surface was cleaned and all potential features investigated by hand. Archaeological contexts were recorded by photograph and on pro forma record sheets. Plans and sections were drawn at an appropriate scale. Registers are provided in the Appendix (Appendix 1‐4). Ordnance Datum levels and feature locations were recorded using Penmap and a total station theodolite.

Environmental samples were taken on any deposits suitable for analysis or dating as per Headland Archaeology Ltd environmental guidelines and following consultation with environmental archaeologist and archaeobotanist Susan Lyons.

Following excavation all environmental samples were analysed by the appropriate specialists and reports produced on the findings for incorporation into this report (see appendices).

7 Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

5 Excavation results (Figure 3)

Topsoil stripping of between 0.2 and 0.35 m of mid‐ to dark brown silty clay (001) revealed subsoil composed of yellow grey brown silty clay (002) (Plate 1 and 2).

Based on the results of radiocarbon dating it appears that the present site can be phased into two distinctive periods. The first is the very end of the Early Bronze Age or early Middle Bronze Age and the second is the latter end of the early medieval period.

Phase 1 The large sub‐rectangular pit (013) (Figure 4) was located in the approximate centre of the site and measured 1.65 m east/west by 1.6 m north/south and was 0.48 m deep. It had irregular sides and a flat base and contained three fills (010‐012) (Plate 3). The basal fill was composed of reddish‐brown silty‐clay with heat‐affected stone inclusions and charcoal (012) and was 0.10‐15m thick. The middle fill was composed of blackish‐brown silt with large amounts of charcoal inclusions (011) and was 0.2 m deep. An alder charcoal sample from this context returned a calibrated date range of 1612‐1501 cal BC (2σ) (UBA‐11751) (Appendix 7). This deposit was confined to the northern part of the feature (it does not appear in Figure 4). The upper fill was composed of dark brown silty‐clay with significant inclusions of charcoal and heat‐affected stone (010). This deposit spilled out of the pit around the edges in an irregular manner. It measured 2.1 m by 2 m and had a maximum of 0.44 m deep.

The upper fill of the feature was stratigraphically above the first of four spreads (015) recorded on this site. This spread was located immediately to the west of the large pit and was composed of dark brown sandy‐clay with a large amount of heat‐affected stone inclusions (Plate 4).

Phase 2 Three more spreads were located to the south of these (Figure 3). The first (014) was located approximately 2.3 m south of the spread recorded as context (015). This measured 1.34 m north/south, 0.67 m in width and 0.02 m in depth and was composed of dark brown sandy‐ clay with a large amount of heat‐affected stone inclusions. A cereal grain from this deposit returned a calibrated date range of 1034‐1155 cal AD (2σ) (UBA‐11752) (Appendix 7). This charred cereal grain, possibly of wheat, (Appendix 6) was retrieved during the processing of the environmental sample of this context. The second spread (016) was located 4.1m east of the first spread (014) and measured 3.4m north/south, 1.4m in width and approximately 0.1m in depth. It was composed of dark brown silty‐clay with heat‐affected stone and roots. The third (005) (Figure 5) was located between the spreads recorded as contexts (014) and (016). It measured 3.9m north/south, 2m in width and 0.05‐0.1m in depth and was composed of mid‐ brown to dark‐yellow silty‐clay with inclusions of charcoal and heat‐affected stone.

This third spread (005) had been truncated by two pits (Figure 5; Plate 5). The first of these (007) was located at the northern end of this spread and approximately 1.25m south of the large sub‐rectangular pit (013). It was sub‐rectangular in shape and measured 0.42m east/west, 0.28m in width and 0.14 m in depth. The pit was filled by mid‐brown silty‐clay (006). The second pit (004) to truncate this spread was located at the southern end of the spread and 3m south of the first pit. This pit was sub‐rectangular shaped in plan and measured 0.92m north/south, 0.87m east/west and 0.22m in depth. The pits’ fill was composed of blackish‐brown silty‐clay with significant inclusions of charcoal and heat‐ affected stone (003).

8 Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

An irregular pit (009) (Figure 6) was located 1.7 m northwest of the large pit (013). It was very disturbed through root growth. The pit measured 0.37m northwest/southeast, 0.15m in width and 0.14 m in depth. Its fill was composed of dark brown sandy‐clay with moderate charcoal inclusions (008).

6 Discussion

Much of the archaeological remains uncovered on the present site appear to represent a typical burnt mound/ fulacht fia. The large sub‐rectangular pit (013) appeared to represent the trough of a burnt mound. The trough was often, but not exclusively, rectangular or sub‐ rectangular in shape and sometimes lined with wood, clay and sand. They were constructed to hold water into which hot stones were placed in order to heat the water. The stones were then removed and discarded in relatively close proximity to the trough thus constructing a deposit of heat‐affected or heat shattered stones. The burning of fuel to heat the stones accounts for the large quantities of charcoal associated with these mounds and this site is no exception with all 10 soil samples retrieved from this site producing varying amounts of charcoal (Appendix 6).

Burnt mounds or fulachtaí fia have been identified in almost every part of the country and are the most common prehistoric monument in Ireland (Waddell 2000, 174). Large infrastructural projects have consistently identifed large numbers of these sites; for example fulachtaí fia and related site types such as burnt mounds and spreads formed the bulk of the recorded archaeology in advance of the gas pipeline to the west (Grogan et al. 2007, 81). The N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC project proved no exception as 41 of a total of 75 excavations produced features typical of fulachtaí fia (Paul O’Keeffe pers. comm.).

Classic fulachtaí fia appear in the landscape as low grassy mounds of crescent or U‐shaped plan (Waddell 2000, 174), though excavation has shown that in many cases the mound can be ploughed out or indeed may never have been on such a scale as to remain identifiable above ground. Excavated fulachtaí fia usually consist of a mound or spread of burnt stones and firing debris and a trough or troughs. Frequently, associated features such as hearths, pits, stakeholes and postholes are also identifed but there is a great deal of variation in the morphology of excavated site types.

The number of identifed fulachtaí fia in the country is constantly increasing and there are at least 7,000 currently known (Grogan et al. 2007, 81). A distribution map of known sites in the North Munster Project (Grogan 2005, 170, Vol 2) highlights that the majority is located in the south of the country and there is known concentrations in Kerry, West Cork and Mid Clare. There is, however, a much lower density of recorded sites on the south side of the River Shannon and Lough Derg. The discovery of a significant number of previously unknown fulachtaí fia during archaeological investigations in advance of the N7 HQDC would suggest that the apparent low density of sites is more likely to be the result of most sites not being recognisable above ground than a genuine sparse distribution in the region.

The siting of this monument type is noteworthy as they are almost invariably located close to a water source (e.g O’Neill 2000). This was well demonstrated during the North Munster Project (Grogan 2005) where the fulachtaí fia identified were located along the margins of wetland, small lakes, turloughs, bog and marsh as well as the edges of river estuaries and on the banks of rivers and streams. This association between fulachtaí fia and wet marginal land in the South Midlands was first highlighted by Feehan (1991, 203) when he pointed out that

9 Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

most were located in marshy ground or along small streams. He also noted that in the Slieve Bloom area there were no fulachtaí fia along any of the numerous large streams and that this may have been due to the likelihood of water inundation in winter (ibid). The Archaeological Inventory of North Tipperary (Farrelly and O’Brien 2002, 38) further acknowledges the link between these sites and water sources and the excavations in advance of the N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC has served to reinforce the evidence.

It has been well documented that fulachtaí fia can be densely concentrated in areas that were suitable for their construction. O’Drisceoil (1988, 676) describes how they ‘are frequently found together in groups of up to ten or more’. In North Tipperary the troughs of 17 fulachtaí fia have been excavated in Killoran, Derryville Bog highlighting that the grouping of these monuments also occurred in this region (Farrelly and O’Brien 2002, 38).

The term “fulacht fia” itself is composed of two Irish words. The first means “recess” or “cavity” and by extension came to be associated with pits, pits specifically used for cooking, the act of cooking and sometimes even the food itself (Ó Drisceoil 1988, 673; Ó Drisceoil 1990, 158). The second word has two possible interpretations: fiadh, of the deer or of the wild, and fian, a roving band of hunters or warriors, occasionally “of the Fianna or Fionn Mac Cumhail” in reference to a mystical army who hunted and lived outdoors (Ó Drisceoil 1988, 673). In North Tipperary the Ordnance Survey maps indicate the presence of ‘Fulacht fian’ (Farrelly and O’Brien 2002, 38)

Although references to “fulacht” occur as early as the ninth century AD, the term “fulacht fiadh” itself does not appear until the nineteenth century (Ó Drisceoil 1990, 158). Besides the use of the term ‘fulacht’ a number of documentary references from Ireland include explicit descriptions of the process of boiling liquid using heated stones for both cooking and bathing purposes (O’Neill 2004, 79).

The earliest recorded reference to the term ‘fulacht’ occurred in Cormac’s Glossary from approximately 900 AD (Ó Drisceoil 1988, 673), however many of the sources in which the term is found have their roots in the oral tradition making the term difficult to accurately date (Ó Drisceoil 1990, 157). A text from the 12th century (Agallamh beg) describes how a site located on the bank of a stream is regarded as both a cooking place and ancient (Ó Drisceoil 1988, 673)

The earliest description of burnt stone technology, where a basin of gruel is cooked with fire‐ heated stones, is from the medieval ‘Latin Life of St. Munnu’ and dates to before the 15th century (O’Neill 2004, 79). Chronologically the next account is contained in Geoffrey Keating’s early seventeenth century The History of Ireland (Foras Feasa ar Éirinn) where a lot of detail is given about how the ‘Fian’ would cook their quarry over pits of hot stones and in water‐filled pits heated by hot stones. In this account the hunters would use a second pit of boiling water to bathe (ibid., 80). The Romance of Mis and Dubh Ruis is another well known account of a deer being boiled in water heated by hot stones and the water subsequently being used for bathing (ibid.).

The technology of fulachtaí fia is well known. Stones were heated in a nearby fire and placed in a water‐filled trough – sometimes lined with timber, stones, clay or reed matting– the heat from the stones would then bring the water to boil. Once cool the stones were removed from the trough and discarded, creating a characteristic burnt mound or spread of heat‐shattered stones. How the boiled water was subsequently utilised, however, is more difficult to ascertain.

10 Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

The traditional interpretation of these monuments is that they were cooking sites, a view supported both by the early texts, folk memory (Ó Drisceoil 1988; O’Neill 2004) and experimentation (O’Kelly 1954; Allen 1994). The texts frequently give a dual function of cooking and bathing for the sites. However, other theories about their use have also been put forward. These include: fulling, brewing, leather working, and use as sweathouses or as multifunctional sites. It is most likely that fulachtaí fia were multifunctional or that different sites were used for different purposes. Determining which each site was used for is difficult in large part because of the lack of definitive evidence and recovered finds.

The theory with the most corroborating evidence is the use of the sites for cooking. Experimental work by O’ Kelly demonstrated that a joint of meat could be cooked in three to four hours using hot stones to boil water in a trough (O’ Kelly 1954), while Allen describes an experiment in which the meat was cooked in two hours (1994, 9). It has been noted that a distinct lack of food refuse such as animal bones is characteristic of scientifically excavated burnt mound sites; however it could be that the cooking of joints of meat was subject to various sorts of ritual or hygiene controls and that any food remains were carefully disposed of (Waddell 2000, 177). Monk has recently shown, however, that although many bones are likely lost to acidic soil, an increasing number of sites are now producing preserved bone (2007, 22). A recent preliminary study undertaken by Auli Tourunen and Karen Stewart on the pH levels of fulachtaí fia showed that there was no correlation between the pH value of a site and bone preservation (Tourunen and Stewart 2008). They caution, however, that this information is preliminary and that a wide range of factors may have contributed to bone preservation or the lack of bone and that the use of animal products at sites can not be ruled out (ibid.). Additional support is provided for the cooking hypothesis by detailing the importance of meat fat in food preservation (Monk 2007, 23). Without cooking trays, he notes, gathering the fat would have been problematic (ibid.). One solution, however, is to boil the meat and collect the fat from the surface of the water, an activity for which fulachtaí fia are ideally suited (ibid.). The presence of fats in the water of fulachtaí fia is also supported with the literary evidence in the story of Mis and Dubh Ruis.

The association between fulachtaí fia and highly mobile groups such as the fian has been long debated. The use of fulachtaí fia for cooking is much more time intensive than roasting meat over a fire and would point to a more sedentary group but few settlements are found in the area immediately surrounding them. Recently the general picture that has been emerging indicates that while they may not be immediately adjacent to settlement sites they often clustered in areas where other potentially contemporary sites such as standing stones, habitation enclosures and hilltop enclosures occur (Grogan 2005, 41, Vol. 1). This would imply that they were part of a wider cultural landscape and could have been used by a largely sedentary society.

Grogan et al. (2007, 91) have concluded from the quantities of heat‐shattered stone forming most spreads and mounds that sites were likely used multiple times on separate occasions and that most sites would have had an extended, if periodic, use history. Using digital terrain modeling, they calculated that the average number of uses per site was approximately 250 (ibid.). They also noted that spoil was occasionally present on top of earlier mounds indicating that troughs had possibly been repositioned (ibid.).

The bathing hypothesis is supported by ethnographic work carried out by Barfield and Hodder (1987) who claim that those who used the burnt mounds may well have covered them in some way and used them for sweating as well as increasing archaeological evidence

11 Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

as more of these sites are excavated. Irish sweathouses used medicinally are recorded from the modern period in which a fire would be lit inside a stone hut until the walls were hot, the embers rakes out and the patient sealed inside, sometimes with herbs placed on the hot stones (Barfield and Hodder 1987, 373). Recent excavations have been producing convincing evidence that at least some fulachtaí fia represent this kind of activity for example sites at Rathpatrick (04E0318) on the N25 Waterford Bypass (Gleeson and Breen 2006) and Ballyburn Lower, Co. Kildare (E2566) (Hackett 2009). Monk (2007, 24) has also hypothesized that fulachtaí fia may have been associated with soap production as all three primary ingredients are present (wood‐ash, water and animal fats). Ó Drisceoil has shown that the bathing in the fulachtaí fia had possible ritual connections (either with mythical people or with magically curative properties as with Mis and Dubh Ruis), and Barfield and Hodder (1987, 373) show that individual or communal sweating also has frequent ritual associations. Barfield and Hodder do not limit the uses of sweathouses to ritual activity however and they point out that their use is an easy method of bathing.

A newer theory as to the uses of fulachtaí fia comes from Moore and Quinn (2007) who have suggested brewing as a primary function of the sites. They maintain that the requirement for large quantities of heated water and a lack of suitable material to produce large basins in which to heat the water would have lead to the use of pits or troughs in which hot stones could be dropped to produce the required heat (ibid.). They also state that quernstones found in association with fulachtaí fia indicate grain processing nearby. They provide ethnographic evidence for this type of brewing as well as tracing the practice back 500 years. Although this is considerably later than the date range for fulachtaí fia, it provides evidence that the practice has been used throughout Europe over a considerable length of time. Their experiment conclusively proved that fulachtaí fia could easily have been used to produce very drinkable ale (Moore and Quinn 2007). The Irish Archaeobotany Discussion Group, however, has refuted the idea of the primary function of fulachtaí fia being for brewing in part due to the lack of botanical remains associated with brewing found at the sites and the periodic associated finds of quern stones as possibly ritual depositions near the feature (McClatchie et al., 2008).

Fulachtaí have been found to have a very broad date range with a small number of sites dating from the Late Neolithic and occasional examples producing dates from the Iron Age or later. However, fulachtaí fia that have been radiocarbon dated show a marked concentration of sites in the Middle Bronze Age, while there is a smaller but significant group indicating use in the Late Bronze Age (Brindley and Lanting 1990). A recent dating program has generally corroborated the findings of Brindley and Lanting. Though fulachtaí fia excavated in advance of the gas pipeline to the west had a high concentration of dates to the 2500‐1700 BC period (Grogan et al. 2007, 96), the majority of sites were within the 1700‐1000 BC period (ibid.). There were only a small number of sites on this project which returned later Bronze Age dates. Baillie (1990, 167) has made the suggestion that fulachtaí fia could have been used for the most part before the eruption of Mount Heckla in 1159 BC, while the environmental changes brought about by the volcano heralded a reduction in their use in the first millennium BC.

These archaeological features have become one of the most common found across the island of Ireland with 194 examples recorded in County Tipperary alone (www.archaeology.ie). Although Annaholty Site 4 did not produce a mound, rather four discreet spreads; it did have deposits and spreads typical of these sites. The four spreads recorded here represent the waste or by‐product associated with troughs and pits that form the bases of the physical remains typical of these sites (Waddell 2000, 174‐177). Approximately 40 examples were

12 Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

excavated on the present scheme with four of these sites with burnt mounds or burnt mound material excavated in Annaholty townland. One of these other sites in Annaholty townland E2313 located 0.3 km to the northeast returned a similar date of 1604‐1434 cal BC (2σ) (UBA 11736) (O’Neill 2009a) while a second, E2326/7, pre‐dated the present site by approximately 600 years (O’Neill 2009b).

The spreads on Annaholty Site 4 were sealed by up to 1m of peat suggesting that plough damage is not a consideration in our interpretation of this site. Therefore, the small but significant amount of ‘by‐product’ or a matrix containing frequent charcoal and heat‐affected stone indicates that this site was utilised a limited number of times. The volume of burnt material both within the pits and in spreads indicates several uses. Experiments have shown that a relatively small number of stones were required to heat the volume of water which a pit this size could contain (e.g. O’Kelly 1954; Denvir 2002). The maximum amount this could have contained was 1267.2 litres. At the same time, the volume of charcoal and heat‐affected stone found at Annaholty Site 4 pales into insignificance when compared against many examples of burnt mounds such as one measuring 28m in length, 22m in width and 0.9 m in depth excavated by Richard O’Brien under license 98E0475 in Lahesseragh (Site D) 27km to the northeast or another measuring 17.5m by 15m and 0.95m deep excavated by John Ó Néill under license 97E0158 in Killoran approximately 40km east of Annaholty (www.excavations.ie). This appears to suggest that the present site saw comparatively little activity associated with the production of burnt mounds after the construction of the trough and associated pits.

There was little associated burnt mound material found at Annaholty Site 4. A considerably larger volume would be expected if the trough was used repeatedly over a period of time. Many burnt mounds have been reported as considerably denuded due especially to ploughing or modern farming practices. This can often be observed in the topsoil surrounding burnt mounds in the form of intermingled charcoal and heat‐affected stones. In the case of Annaholty Site 4 this was not observed and, moreover, this seems unlikely as the surrounding land was relatively waterlogged rough pasture of up to 1m deep peat and wholly unsuitable for tillage farming. Apart from the digging of drainage ditches there seems to have been little change from the nineteenth century landscape which was depicted in the 1st and 2nd edition Ordnance Survey maps. It, therefore, seems that modern farming practices have not influenced the volume of extant deposits of burnt mound material on this site. This appears to suggest that after construction of the trough and a limited number of uses, this site was quickly abandoned in the early 16th century BC and probably saw limited activity in the 11th‐12th century AD.

The early medieval date for the deposit to the south of the trough is one of a small number of dates suggesting that the practices involved in producing deposits of heat‐affected material may have continued into the historic period. One of the first burnt mound sites to produce an early medieval date was in Catstown, Co. Kilkenny excavated by Michael Ryan in June 1974 under license 1974:0021 (www.excavations.ie; Edwards 1990: 66). This early medieval date for Annaholty Site 4 was achieved from a single charred cereal grain retrieved during processing of the environmental sample of this context. As only one grain was found, the significance of the grain and consequently its radiocarbon date should not be overemphasized. It remains highly probable this grain was intrusive to the site (Appendix 6) and may only suggest activity near the site at this time and not activity associated with the production of heat‐ affected material.

13 Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

Several sites with similar early medieval dates were excavated as part of the present scheme. One approximately 8 km to the north in Cappadine (Site 1), Co. Tipperary excavated under license E2496 produced a date of 1056‐1223 cal AD (2σ) (UBA‐11824) from a fill of an enclosure ditch and a second of 1023‐1155 cal AD (2σ) (UBA‐11826) from a deposit (Long and Clark 2009). Three similar dates were also returned for fills of charcoal production pits in Carrigatogher (Ryan) Site 2, Co. Tipperary excavated under license E2407 (1028‐1164 cal AD (2σ) (UBA‐11799); 1053‐1221 cal AD (2σ) (UBA‐11807) and 1035‐1178 cal AD (2σ) (UBA‐11810) approximately 18 km to the northeast (Macleod 2009).

As noted above, this site was located in a depression in the local topography which acted like a bowl for the accumulation of water. Perhaps this site held a volume of water too great to allow for the processes involved in the production of a burnt mound. This site may be of interest in a larger study of the sites chosen for the location of activity associated with the production of burnt mounds. Clearly it offered some of the attributes of a favoured location but ultimately was unsuitable.

7 Conclusion

Date ranges returned from previously excavated burnt mounds that have undergone radiocarbon dating show a concentration of sites in the Middle Bronze Age (Grogan, O’ Donnell and Johnston 2007, 96). The present site appears to correlate with this in providing a calibrated date range of 1612‐1501 cal BC (2σ) (UBA‐11751) from the probable trough. The early medieval date suggests activity not necessarily related to archaeological features/deposits on the present site in Annaholty during the medieval period.

14 Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

8 Archive quantities

The site archive is comprised of the following materials:

Item Quantity Context Sheets 16 Plans 6 Sections 3 Samples 10 Finds 0 Photographs 23 Registers 4 Notebooks 0

The archive material is contained within 1 box.

Storage of the archive in a suitable format and location is required in order to provide for any future archaeological research. It is proposed that in addition to the paper archive a digital copy is prepared. The archive is currently stored in the offices of Headland Archaeology, Unit 1, Wallingstown Business Park, Little Island, Co. Cork. It is proposed that following completion of post‐ excavation the archive is appropriately deposited.

15 Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

References

Cartographic Sources

• First Edition Ordnance Survey 1843, 6 inches: 1 mile, Sheet TN031 • Second Edition Ordnance Survey 1903, 25 inches: 1 mile, Sheet TN031 • Record of Monuments and Places map, Sheet no. 31

Literary Sources

Allen, D. 1994 ‘Hot water and plenty of it’ Archaeology Ireland, Vol. 8, No. 1, Issue 27, 8‐9.

Baillie, M. 1990 ‘Provision of dates for Fulachta fiadh’ in V. Buckley (comp.) Burnt Offerings: International Contributions to Burnt Mound Archaeology. Wordwell, Bray. 165‐9.

Barfield, L. and Hodder M. 1987 ‘Burnt mounds as saunas, and the prehistory of bathing’ Antiquity Vol. 61, 370‐79.

Brindley, A. and Lanting, J. 1990 ‘The dating of fulachta fiadh’ in V. Buckley (comp.) Burnt Offerings. Wordwell, Bray. 55‐56.

Cherry, S. 1990 ‘The finds from fulachta fiadh’ in V. Buckley (comp.) Burnt Offerings: International Contributions to Burnt Mound Archaeology. Wordwell, Bray. 49‐54.

Collins, T. 2006 N7 Nenagh to Limerick High Quality dual carriageway Test‐Trenching (Contract 1), Archaeological Preliminary Report. Unpublished report by Aegis Archaeology Ltd. for Limerick County Council.

Denvir, A. 2000 ‘Fulachta Fiadh – An Irish Mystery’ www.angelfire.com/fl/burntmounds [Accessed June 2009].

Farelly, J. and O’Brien, C. 2002 Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary, Vol. 1 – North Tipperary, The Stationary Office, Dublin.

Feehan, J. 1991’Fulachta Fiadh in the South Midlands’, Tipperary Historical Journal Vol 22, 202‐ 207.

Gleeson, C. and Breen, G. N25 Waterford Bypass, Contract 3. Final Report on archaeological investigations at Site 40, in the townland of Rathpatrick, Co. Kilkenny. Unpublished client report by Headland Archaeology Ltd for Waterford County Council.

Gowen and Co. 2003 N7 Nenagh to Limerick High Quality Dual Carriageway to Motorway Standard Environmental Impact Statement Volume 4B Appendix I.

Grogan, E., O’ Donnell, L., Johnston, P (eds) 2007 The Bronze Age Landscapes of the Pipeline to the West. Wordwell, Bray

Grogan, E. 2005 The North Munster Project. 2 vols. Wordwell, Bray.

16 Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

Hackett, L. 2009 N9/N10 Kilcullen to Waterford Scheme: Kilcullen to Powerstown. Final Report on archaeological investigations at Site E2566 (A021/008), in the townland of Ballyburn Lower, Co. Kildare. Unpublished client report by Headland Archaeology Ltd for Kildare County Council.

Hanrahan, E. T. 1950 ‘Note on Old Timber Road, Annaholty, Co. Limerick’, North Munster Antiquarian Journal 6/2, 64.

Long, P. and Clark, L. 2009 N7 Nenagh to Limerick High Quality Dual Carriageway Archaeological Resolution Project Cappadine Site 1 E2496, Co. Tipperary Final Excavation Report. Unpublished client report for Limerick County Council.

MacLeod, R. 2009 N7 Nenagh to Limerick High Quality Dual Carriageway Archaeological Resolution Project Carrigatogher (Ryan) Site 2 E2407, Co. Tipperary Final Excavation Report. Unpublished client report for Limerick County Council.

McKinstry, L. 2009 Preliminary Report on archaeological investigations at site 4 in the townland of Annaholty, Co. Tipperary. Unpublished client report by Headland Archaeology Ltd.

Monk, M. 2007 ‘A greasy subject’ Archaeology Ireland, Vol. 21, No. 1, Issue 79, 22‐24.

Moore, D. and Quinn B. 2007 ‘Ale, brewing and fulacht fiadh’ Archaeology Ireland, Vol. 21, No. 3, Issue 81.

O’Brien R. in Bennett, I. (Ed) 2002 Excavations 1999 Summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland. Wordwell, Bray

Ó Drisceoil, D. 1988 ‘Burnt mounds: cooking or bathing?’ Antiquity Vol. 62, 671‐80.

Ó Drisceoil, D. 1990 ‘Fulachta fiadh: the value of early Irish literature’ in V. Buckley (comp.) Burnt Offerings: International Contributions to Burnt Mound Archaeology. Wordwell, Bray. 157‐ 164.

O’Flanagan, M. 1930 Ordnance Survey Namebooks, Co. Tipperary (Ed) Dublin

O’ Kelly, M.J. 1954 ‘Excavations and experiments in ancient Irish cooking places’, Journal of the Royal society of Antiquities in Ireland, 95.

O’Neill, J. 2000 ‘Just another fulacht fiadh story’, Archaeology Ireland Vol. 14, No. 2,

O’Neill, J. 2004 ‘Lapidibus in igne calefactis coquebatur: The historical burnt mound ‘tradition’’, Journal of Irish Archaeology Vols. xii and xiii, 79‐85.

O’Neill, N. 2009a N7 Nenagh to Limerick High Quality Dual Carriageway Archaeological Resolution Project Annaholty Site 3 E2313, Co. Tipperary Final Excavation Report. Unpublished client report for Limerick County Council.

O’Neill, N. 2009b N7 Nenagh to Limerick High Quality Dual Carriageway Archaeological Resolution Project Annaholty Site 5 and 6 E2326/7, Co. Tipperary Final Excavation Report. Unpublished client report for Limerick County Council.

17 Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

Tourunen A. and Stewart K. 2008 pH analysis of burnt mounds: implications for preservation of organic material. Poster presented at The World Archaeological Congress, Dublin, Ireland 2008.

Waddell, J. 2000 The Prehistoric Archaeology of Ireland. Wordwell, Bray.

18 Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

Acknowledgements

The author and excavation director would like to thank the following for their help during the excavation and post‐excavation stages of this project;

• Richard O’Brien, NRA Archaeologist and Paul O Keeffe (NRA Assistant Archaeologist) MWNRDO, Limerick. • Project and post‐excavation managers Colm Moloney, Ross McLeod, Damian Shiels, Asa Carlsson and Patricia Long, Headland Archaeology. • Jonathan Miller, Graphics Manager and the graphics department, Headland Archaeology. • Torril S Nygard and Javier Celmas, Site Supervisors, Headland Archaeology. • Gavin Duffy, Airshots Ltd. • The excavation team.

19 E2319 E2316

E2315 E2309

E2314 E2313 E2312 Nenagh E2326

Limerick E2325

C Ordnance Survey of Ireland, Government of Ireland. Licence No. 2009/09/CCMA/LimerickCountyCouncil

E2314

Annaholty E2312

CPO

Sites

Townland

0 125 m E2326 Figure 1 - N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC: Location of Annaholty Site 4, E2312. C Ordnance Survey of Ireland, Government of Ireland. Licence No. 2009/09/CCMA/LimerickCountyCouncil

TN031-049----

E2313

E2314

E2312

TN031-050----

TN031-090---- E2326

E2327

E2325

0 500 m

Figure 2 - N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC: Location of Annaholty Site 4, E2312 on RMP extract. X = 169264.1681 Y = 164774.3465

CPO

see figure 6 009 see figure 4 013 015

007 005 014 016

004 see figure 5

X = 169263.9261 Y = 164748.7108

Burnt mound Spread

0 10 m

Figure 3 - N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC: Annaholty Site 4, E2312 layout of site. 013

SW NE 47.6400 mOD

# # # # # # # # # # # # 010 # # # # # # # # # 012 # # # # #

013

# Charcoal

Stone

0 1 m

Figure 4 - N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC: Annaholty Site 4, E2312 plan and southeast-facing section of probable trough (013). N S 47.7000 mOD # # # # 006 # # # 005 # # # # 007 # # 003 #

004

# Charcoal

Stone

0 1 m

Figure 5 - N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC: Annaholty Site 4, E2312 west-vfacing section of spread (005) and pits (004) and (007). 009

E W 47.7700 mOD

008

009

# Charcoal

Stone

0 0.5 m

Figure 6 - N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC: Annaholty Site 4, E2312 plan and south-facing section of (009). Plate 1 - Pre-excavation shot of site, southwest-facing.

Plate 2 - Working shot of site clean back, southeast-facing. Plate 3 - Mid-excavation of probable trough (013), northwest-facing.

Plate 4 - Section of (015), southeast-facing. Plate 5 - Mid-excavation of (004), (005) and (007), west-facing. Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC Annaholty Site 4 E2312 Preliminary Report

Appendix 1: Context Register

Fill Description Context no. Type of: Filled by: L (m) W (m) D (m) Interpretation (001) Deposit N/A N/A N/A N/A 0.2‐0.35 Mid‐ to dark brown silty clay Natural (002) Deposit N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Yellow grey brown silty clay Natural Mid‐blackish‐brown, loosely‐ compacted silty‐clay. Moderate inclusions of heat‐ affected stone and flecks of (003) Fill (004) N/A 0.92 0.87 0.22 charcoal. Fill of (004) Oval shaped in plan. Top break of slope: north gradual, south sharp. Bottom break of slope: North gradual, South gradual. Sides were slightly concave on the northern side and straight and smooth on the southern side. Base smooth and flat. N‐S Cut of pit, possibly a (004) Cut N/A 003 0.92 0.87 0.22 orientation cooking pit Mid‐brown to dark‐yellow, loosely‐compacted, silty‐clay. Spread of burnt stone 0.05‐ Inclusions of charcoal and material. Possibly (005) Deposit N/A N/A 3.9 2 0.10 heat‐affected stone. associated with (013). Mid‐brown, loosely‐ (006) Fill (007) N/A 0.42 0.28 0.14 compacted, silty clay. Fill of (007)

Appendix Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

Fill Description Context no. Type of: Filled by: L (m) W (m) D (m) Interpretation Sub‐triangular shaped in plan. Break of slope at the top in the north & sharp. Break of slope at the bottom sharp in the north and gradual in the south. Sides straight and smooth in the north and slightly concave in (007) Cut N/A 006 0.42 0.28 0.14 the south. Flat base. Cut of pit Dark brown sandy‐clay with (008) Fill (009) N/A 0.37 0.15 0.08 moderate charcoal inclusions Fill of (009) Irregularly shaped in plan. Gradually sloping in the north and sharper in the south. Concave sides. Irregular base. NE‐SW (009) Cut 008 0.37 0.15 0.08 orientated Cut of charcoal dump Dark brown silty‐clay with Max significant inclusions of (010) Fill (013) N/A 2.1 2 0.44 charcoal and burnt stone. Third fill of (013) Black to dark brown silt with large amounts of charcoal. Appears in the northern part (011) Fill (013) N/A 1.3 0.65 0.2 of the feature only. second fill of (013) Reddish‐brown silty‐clay 0.10‐ with heat‐affected stone (012) Fill (013) N/A 1.3 0.9 0.15 inclusions First fill of (013)

Appendix Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

Fill Description Context no. Type of: Filled by: L (m) W (m) D (m) Interpretation Irregularly shaped in plan. 010, 011, Gradually sloping irregular (013) Cut N/A 012 1.65 1.6 0.48 sides and flat base. Cut of hearth Dark brown, silty‐clay with heat‐affected stone. Located Spread of burnt stone (014) Deposit N/A N/A 1.34 0.67 0.02 3.75 m away from (013). material. Dark brown sandy‐clay with heat‐affected stone and root Spread of burnt stone (015) Deposit N/A N/A 1.6 1.1 0.47 inclusions. material. Northwest Dark brown silty‐clay with heat‐affected stone and root Spread of burnt stone (016) Deposit N/A N/A 3.4 1.6 0.1 inclusions. material. South

Appendix Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

Appendix 2: Sample Register

Sample no. Context no. Description Purpose E2312:001 (011) Blackish‐ brown silt fill of (013) with charcoal Radiocarbon dating (010) Dark brown silty‐clay fill of (013) with charcoal and Environmental analysis E2312:002 burnt stone (012) Reddish‐brown silty‐clay with heat‐affected stone Environmental analysis E2312:003 inclusions within (013) (010) Dark brown silty‐clay fill of (013) with charcoal and Environmental analysis E2312:004 burnt stone (008) Dark brown sandy‐clay of spread (009) with Environmental analysis E2312:005 charcoal (008) Dark brown sandy‐clay of spread (009) with Environmental analysis E2312:006 charcoal (003) Mid blackish‐brown silty‐clay fill of pit (004) with Environmental analysis E2312:007 burnt stone and charcoal flecking (005) Mid‐brown to dark yellow silty‐clay spread of burnt Environmental analysis E2312:008 mound material with charcoal and burnt stone E2312:009 (006) Mid‐brown silty‐clay fill of pit (007) Environmental analysis E2312:010 (014) Dark brown silty clay natural deposit Radiocarbon dating

Appendix Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

Appendix 3: Photographic Catalogue

Direction Shot no. facing Description E2312:018 W Pre‐excavation shot of site E2312:019 NE Working shot of site clean back E2312:020 E Working shot of site clean back E2312:021 NE Working shot of site clean back E2312:022 SE Pre‐excavation shot of the site E2312:023 ESE Pre‐excavation shot of the site E2312:024 E Test‐pit (geo). T6 E2312:025 N Test‐pit (geo). T5 E2312:026 E Test‐pit (geo). T4 E2312:027 SE Test‐pit (geo). T3 E2312:028 NW Test‐pit (geo). T1 E2312:044 NW Mid‐excavation of (013) E2312:045 NW Mid‐excavation of (013) E2312:046 NW Mid‐excavation of (013) E2312:047 NW Mid‐excavation of (013) E2312:048 NW Mid‐excavation of (013) E2312:077 E Mid‐excavation of (004), (007) and (005) E2312:078 W Post‐excavation of (009) E2312:079 SE Section of spread (015) E2312:080 SE Section of spread (015) E2312:081 SE Section of spread (015) E2312:082 E Section of spread (014)

Appendix Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

Appendix 4: Drawing Catalogue

Drawing no. Type Scale Description 1 Plan 1:50 Pre‐excavation plan of NW part of site 2 Plan 1:50 Pre‐excavation plan of NE part of site 3 Plan 1:50 Pre‐excavation plan of S part of site 4 Section 1:10 W‐facing section of pits (004) and (007) 5 (deleted) 6 Section 1:10 South facing section of deposit (009) 7 Plan 1:10 Post‐excavation plan of deposit (009) 8 Section 1:10 South facing section of (013) 9 Plan 1:20 Post‐excavation plan of (013) 10 Plan 1:50 Post‐excavation plan of site

Appendix Appendix 5 Site Matrix

001 Topsoil

003 006 Medieval activity 1034-1155 AD at 2- 004 007 014 sigma

008

Possible Bronze Age 009 activity

010 Early to middle Bronze Age activity 1612-1501 BC at 2- 011 015 sigma

012

016 013 005

002 Subsoil

Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E 2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

Appendix 6: Palaeoenvironmental samples assessment report

Palaeoenvironmental samples assessment for Annaholty Site 4 E2312 Project: NNL06 By: Karen Stewart and Lisa Doyle

Introduction Ten environmental samples were taken during the excavation of E2312, a site consisting of four small discrete burnt spreads, with associated trough, and three pits. All of the samples were processed in order to retrieve any palaeoenvironmental material that may aid in the interpretation of the site.

Methodology Samples of approximately 10 L were taken on site under the direction of environmental archaeologist Susan Lyons. Samples were processed in laboratory conditions using a standard flotation method (cf. Kenward et al, 1980). The floating debris (flot) was collected in a 250 μm sieve and, once dry, scanned using a binocular microscope. Any remaining material in the flotation tank (retent) was wet‐sieved through a 1 mm mesh and air‐dried. This was then sorted by eye and any material of archaeological significance removed. All plant macrofossil samples were analysed using a stereomicroscope at magnifications of x10 and up to x100 where necessary to aid identification. Identifications were confirmed using modern reference material and seed atlases including Cappers et al (2006).

Results:

Radiocarbon dates To place this site within a chronological framework two samples were submitted for radiocarbon dating. The sub‐samples were identified to species in advance of submission. Radiocarbon dating was undertaken by Stephen Hoper at Queen’s University Belfast, after Reimer et al. Calibrated age ranges were calculated using radiocarbon calibration program CALIB REV5.0.2. The results are presented in Table 1.

Appendix

Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E 2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

E Lab Sample Radiocarbon Calibrated Age Relative Calibrated Age Relative Material δ13C Number code ID age BP Ranges (1 σ) probability Ranges (2 σ) probability

context cal BC 1607 ‐ 1572 0.509 UBA‐ alder E2312 11, sample ‐29.7 3277 +/‐ 21 cal BC 1559 ‐ 1549 0.134 cal BC 1612 ‐ 1501 1 11751 charcoal 1 cal BC 1539 ‐ 1516 0.357 charred cal AD 1040 ‐ 1052 0.164 context UBA‐ cereal grain cal AD 1080 ‐ 1113 0.415 cal AD 1034 ‐ E2312 14, sample ‐29.8 935 +/‐ 20 1 11752 (damaged, cal AD 1115 ‐ 1128 0.164 1155 10 poss wheat) cal AD 1132 ‐ 1152 0.257 Table 1: Radiocarbon Dates

Appendix

Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E 2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

Environmental Evidence The results are summarised below in Tables 2 (flot assessment) and 3 (retent assessment). All plant remains were preserved through charring.

Wood charcoal Wood charcoal was recovered from all of the processed samples. In all cases the charcoal was highly fragmented and abraded. Samples 1, 3, 4 and 6 had particularly high concentrations (++++) of charcoal. Most of the samples were found to contain lower concentrations than this, ranging from very low (+) to high (+++). The poor condition and small size of this comparative assemblage precluded any meaningful statistical analysis of the wood species represented.

Charred cereal grains One cereal grain was recovered from sample 10. The grain was too damaged to be identified to species.

Discussion Two distinct periods of exploitation were identified on the site. The prehistoric phase fits the later range of dates secured for similar sites from the vicinity. An Early Bronze Age burnt mound was excavated in a neighbouring townland, Cooleen, Site 4 E2315 (Stewart 2009b). Within the townland of Annaholty, Sites 5 and 6, E2326/27 (Stewart 2009c) pre‐dated it, while Site 2, E2313 (Stewart 2009a) c. 300 m to the northeast, produced the closest comparable dates. The radiocarbon dates have yet to be returned for the remaining two burnt mound sites from this townland, Annaholty Sites 3 (E2314) and 7 (E2325) (O’Neil 2009a and b).

The charcoal recovered from the samples processed tended to be of a very small size and quite badly abraded. This suggests that the charcoal may have been exposed on the surface for some time, or transported from elsewhere to be deposited, both of which can cause the breaking down and abrasion of charcoal. The typical location of fulachtaí fia next to water sources can also contribute to the abrasion of the charcoal present as the rising and lowering of the water table over time may abrade even buried charcoal.

The only species identified for radiocarbon dating was alder. The presence of alder would suggest regular availability of water for successful germination (Stuijts 2005, 139). This tree is light demanding and cannot tolerate waterlogged or acidic conditions (ibid). Its presence is compatible with marginal mature woodland, close to a reliable water source. This habitat type is consistent with that commonly associated with burnt mound activity. Alder cannot, however, be taken as representative of the assemblage as a whole as a non‐oak species was specifically targeted for dating purposes. Alder charcoal is of a high quality (Stuijts 2005, 140) and a frequent associate of metalworking in England (Pilcher and Hall 2001, 40).

The absence of any archaeobotanical material other than charcoal from fulachtaí fia sites is well documented (O’Neill 2000), and so the presence of even one charred cereal grain is interesting. It has been proposed that fulachtaí fia represent cooking sites, which might account for the presence of a cereal grain. It has also been proposed that they may have been utilised in brewing (Moore &

Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E 2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

Quinn 2007, 8‐9), However if either of these were the case, it might be expected that more charred grains would be recovered.

It has been estimated by the Irish Archaeobotany Discussion Group that 8% of samples taken from fulachtaí fia contain grain (McClatchie et al, 2008) and usually in these cases only one or two grains. Charred grain has also been found in association with fulachtaí fia excavated on other sites on the scheme (Stewart 2009a, d, e and f). In the case of E2934 (Stewart 2009f) and E2330 (Stewart 2008d) grain was recovered from the burnt mound, as is the case here. The charred cereal grain from this site was abraded in a similar fashion as the charcoal, suggesting that it might have been subject to the same taphonomic conditions. Alternatively, it is possible that, given the poor condition and low concentration, the grain may have been intrusive to the site.

Conclusions This site can be counted amongst the significant number of Bronze Age sites investigated during the course of this scheme, such as Gortybrigane Site 1, E2487 (Long 2009). The retrieval of charred medieval cereal grain from the second phase may indicate a change of use of the site over time.

The targeting of the same area for burnt mound related activity at such a temporal separation shows that the damp environmental conditions of the area persisted. It also places Annaholty Site 4 within a growing number of sites which record early historic targeting of ancient, often Bronze Age, burnt mound sites. The distinctive charcoal staining associated with these types of sites can be an indication of the availability of water. This pattern appears to have been recognised and used to the advantage of early historic societies, particularly with regard to the sinking of wells (for example Doyle 2009). The presence a single grain, however, is not a conclusive indication that secondary cereal processing was ongoing at the site.

Total Charcoal Sample Context flot vol. Max size number number (ml) Quantity (cm) AMS 7 3 10 + <1 8 5 2 + <1 9 6 2 <1 6 8 5 + <1 5 8 2 + <1 4 10 5 ++ 1 *oak 2 10 10 ++ <1 1 11 15 +++ 1 *oak 3 12 1 + <1 10 14 2 + <1

Key: + = rare, ++ = occasional, +++ = common and ++++ = abundant * = sufficient sized charcoal for identification and AMS dating Table 2: Composition of flot material

Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E 2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

Wood Sample Context Retent charcoal Carbonised number number vol (L) cereal grain Qty AMS 07 03 0.5l +++ 08 05 0.1l ++ 09 06 0.5l + 05 08 0.1l +++ 06 08 0.1l ++++ 02 10 2l ++ * 04 10 0.1l ++++ * 01 11 1l ++++ * 03 12 0.5l ++++ * 10 14 0.1l + +

Key: += rare, ++= occasional, +++= common and ++++= abundant AMS= Accelerator Mass Spectrometry *= sufficient for AMS dating Table 3: Composition of retent material

References: Cappers, R., Bekker, R. and Jans, J.2006 Digital seed atlas of the Netherlands. Barkhuis Publishing and Groningen University Library, Groningen.

Doyle, T, 2009 N9/N10 Kilcullen to Waterford Scheme: Phase 3, Kilcullen to Carlow Archaeological Services Contract No. 6‐ Resolution, Moone to Prumplestown. E2940 Preliminary Report. Unpublished client report for Kildare County Council.

Kenward, H., Hall, A. and Jones, A.1980 ‘A tested set of techniques for the extraction of plant and animal macrofossils from archaeological deposits’. Science and Archaeology 22, 3‐15.

Long, P. 2009 N7 Nenagh to Limerick High Quality Dual Carriageway Archaeological Resolution Project Gortybrigane Site 1 E2487, Co. Tipperary Final Excavation Report. Unpublished client report for Limerick County Council.

McClatchie, M., Brewer A., Dillon M., Johnston P., Lyons S., Monk M., Stewart K. and Timpany S. (members of the Irish Archaeobotany Discussion Group) 2008 Letter to the Editor ‘Brewing and Fulacht fiadh’ Archaeology Ireland, Winter 2007, Vol. 21, No. 4, Issue 82, 46.

O’Neill, J. 2000 ‘Just another fulacht fiadh story’, Archaeology Ireland Vol. 14 No.2.

O’Neill, N. 2009 N7 Nenagh to Limerick High Quality Dual Carriageway Archaeological Resolution Project Annaholty Site 3 E2313, Co. Tipperary Final Excavation Report. Unpublished client report for Limerick County Council.

Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E 2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

O’Neill, N. 2009 N7 Nenagh to Limerick High Quality Dual Carriageway Archaeological Resolution Project Annaholty Site 7 E2325, Co. Tipperary Final Excavation Report. Unpublished client report for Limerick County Council.

Quinn B. & Moore D. 2007. Ale, brewing and fulachta fiadh. Archaeology Ireland, Volume 21, No. 3, Issue No. 81.

Reimer P., Baillie M. et al 2004 Radiocarbon Vol. 46, 1029‐1058.

Pilcher J. and Hall V. 2001 Flora Hibernica; The wild flowers, plants and trees of Ireland. Collins Press, Cork.

Stewart, K. 2009a Palaeoenvironmental samples assessment, Annaholty Site 2, E2313. Unpublished technical report, Headland Archaeology Ltd.

Stewart, K. 2009b Palaeoenvironmental samples assessment, Cooleen, Site 4, E2315. Unpublished technical report, Headland Archaeology Ltd.

Stewart, K. 2009c Palaeoenvironmental samples assessment, Annaholty Sites 5 and 6, E2326.27. Unpublished technical report, Headland Archaeology Ltd.

Stewart, K. 2009d Palaeoenvironmental samples assessment, Lisnagry Site 1, E2330. Unpublished technical report, Headland Archaeology Ltd.

Stewart, K. 2009e Palaeoenvironmental samples assessment, Carrigatogher (Harding) Site 1, E2406. Unpublished technical report, Headland Archaeology Ltd.

Stewart, K. 2009f Palaeoenvironmental samples assessment Ballintotty Site 1, E2934. Unpublished technical report, Aegis Archaeology Ltd.

Stuijts, I. 2005 ‘Wood and charcoal identification’, in Gowen M, O’Neill J and Philips M (eds.)The Lisheen Mine Archaeological Project 1996‐8. Worldwell, Bray. 137‐185.

Headland Archaeology Ltd: N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC E 2312, Annaholty Site 4 Final Report

Appendix 7: Radiocarbon dating results

E Lab Sample Radiocarbon Calibrated Age Relative Calibrated Age Relative Material δ13C Number code ID age BP Ranges (1 σ) probability Ranges (2 σ) probability