Fulachta fiadh – 10 years of engagement; form, distribution and function Finn Delaney, John Tierney & Maurizio Toscano World Archaeological Congress 6 Theme: Materializing Identities II: Materials, Techniques, Practice Session: Hot rocks: heated stone technologies and archaeology

Prehistoric & Historic Periods Mesolithic Period 8000-4000 BC Neolithic Period 4000-2000 BC Bronze Age Period 2500-500 BC Iron Age Period 500 BC -500 AD Early Christian Period or Early Medieval Period 500 AD -1000 AD Medieval Period 1000 – 1500 AD

Mesolithic Period 8000-4000 BC

Neolithic Period 4000-2000 BC

Bronze Age Period 2500-500 BC

Iron Age Period 500 BC -500 AD

Early Christian Period or Early Medieval Period 500 AD -1000 AD

Medieval Period 1000 – 1500 AD

Excavation GIS

Experiment

Hardwood and softwood mixed with beach stones

Mound formation in advance of boiling

Immediate boiling and evaporation

Key observations The ‘hearth’ made the mound – they were not separate The trough needed to be constantly filled with water Water and fuel were the scarcest resources (stone is recycled) The boiling water was spoiled by stone grit and charcoal – sieving probably needed if not going to spoil food products

The ‘hearth’ made the mound – they were not separate

The trough needed to be constantly filled with water

Water and fuel were the scarcest resources (stone is recycled)

The boiling water was spoiled by stone grit and charcoal – sieving probably needed if not going to spoil food products

FORM

FEATURES Mound/Layers Heat Shattered stone Troughs – fine grit/sand at base Circular Pits – Deep and shallow Stakeholes – Internal / External Postholes Associated Structures Hearths Wells / Springs Interconnecting Troughs/Pits Ecofacts/Artefacts

Mound/Layers Heat Shattered stone

Troughs – fine grit/sand at base

Circular Pits – Deep and shallow

Stakeholes – Internal / External

Postholes

Associated Structures

Hearths

Wells / Springs

Interconnecting Troughs/Pits

Ecofacts/Artefacts

Caherweelder 5 N18OG

Caherweelder 6 N18OG Enda O’Mahoney

Park 2 N7CN John Tierney & Nick Garland Postholes Well Trough 1 Trough 2

Park 2 N7CN John Tierney & Nick Garland

Ahanaglogh N25 Kilmacthomas John Tierney & Aine Richardson

Cutting stone? Working surface? Edge of trough Boiling grit lines

Caherweelder 2 N18OG Enda O’Mahoney

Barnacragh N6GB M O’Dromma

Ballynamona 2 Linda Hegarty Trough 1 Trough 2 Hearth Sweat-house?

Clashnevin1 N7CN Jo Ronayne

Receding groundwater within the well

Ballyglass West N18OG Agnes Kerrigan

Greenhills N7CN Jacinta Kiely & Josh Cronin

Trough Volumes Across all Projects

Trough Volumes Across all Projects

Individual 95% CIs For Mean Based on Pooled StDev Level N Mean StDev -----+---------+---------+---------+---- N25 vol 18 1.11 0.59 (----------*---------) N8 Vol 18 1.43 1.08 (----------*---------) N18 Vol 20 2.44 2.64 (---------*---------) N7 Vol 23 1.08 1.06 (--------*---------) -----+---------+---------+---------+---- 0.70 1.40 2.10 2.80 Pooled StDev = 1.568 Regional variation of Trough Volumes

Individual 95% CIs For Mean Based on Pooled StDev

Level N Mean StDev -----+---------+---------+---------+----

N25 vol 18 1.11 0.59 (----------*---------)

N8 Vol 18 1.43 1.08 (----------*---------)

N18 Vol 20 2.44 2.64 (---------*---------)

N7 Vol 23 1.08 1.06 (--------*---------)

-----+---------+---------+---------+----

0.70 1.40 2.10 2.80

Pooled StDev = 1.568

DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of Fulachta Fiadh in North Cork

Distribution of Fulachta Fiadh in North Tipperary

Altitude of Fulachta Fiadh in North Cork Fulachta fiadh altitude descriptive data 469 Count 290.9 Maximum 24.5 Minimum 39.4 Standard Deviation 109.3 Mean

Altitude of Fulachta Fiadh in North Tipperary Fulachta fiadh altitude descriptive data 138 Count 269.0 Maximum 33.3 Minimum 52.2 Standard Deviation 114.1 Mean

Distance to rivers; North Cork Fulachta fiadh river distance descriptive data 469 Count 1949.8 Maximum 0 Minimum 369.0 Standard Deviation 381.0 Mean

Distance to rivers; North Tipperary Fulacht fiadh river distance descriptive data 469 Count 1949.8 Maximum 0 Minimum 369.0 Standard Deviation 381.0 Mean

Future Work Check the factors which limit the distribution of Fulachta Fiadh in terms of altitude; vegetation, soils subsoil, geology and micro topography Consider springs, flushes, wetlands … as alternative water resources for further analysis. Check the association of Fulachta Fiadh with certain types of landscape, like uplands, lowlands, foothills, syncline and antisyncline. Check the association of Fulachta Fiadh with contemporary sites Check the association of sites with presence of fissured bedrock. Point pattern analysis to recognise clusters and measure the level of clustering in the network. Limited solely by our ability to ask productive questions and the availability of data GIS Analysis

Check the factors which limit the distribution of Fulachta Fiadh in terms of altitude; vegetation, soils subsoil, geology and micro topography

Consider springs, flushes, wetlands … as alternative water resources for further analysis.

Check the association of Fulachta Fiadh with certain types of landscape, like uplands, lowlands, foothills, syncline and antisyncline.

Check the association of Fulachta Fiadh with contemporary sites

Check the association of sites with presence of fissured bedrock.

Point pattern analysis to recognise clusters and measure the level of clustering in the network.

Limited solely by our ability to ask productive questions and the availability of data

Function

‘ Shambles’ Ground level butchery

‘ Shambles’

Ground level butchery

Pig hoisted on tripod Raised butchery

Pig hoisted on tripod

Raised butchery

Moore Group (www.mooregroup.ie) Great Beer Experiment

FUNCTION Troughs Boiling of large quantities of water for butchery, food preparation (incl hide preparation) and food processing Sweat house Other uses Small pits Hot stone boiling of smaller quantities of water for varied uses Blood product processing Plant product processing Holding containers (baskets/leather/pot) for curing/storing Roasting pits

Troughs

Boiling of large quantities of water for butchery, food preparation (incl hide preparation) and food processing

Sweat house

Other uses

Small pits

Hot stone boiling of smaller quantities of water for varied uses

Blood product processing

Plant product processing

Holding containers (baskets/leather/pot) for curing/storing

Roasting pits

Engagement Local Places (not sites) Varied domestic functions Bronze Age ‘Shambles’ & Food preparation We should be using these ‘sites’ to study Bronze Age communities

Local Places (not sites)

Varied domestic functions

Bronze Age ‘Shambles’ & Food preparation

We should be using these ‘sites’ to study Bronze Age communities

Stocking the winter larder? While burnt mounds were probably put to a range of uses we must not ignore the possibility that there may have been one predominant use. Butchery, Processing and Preservation Surplus production Production of food products for social storage or feasting Storage (in fat, salting, dry cured?) Boiling one cow could take up to 60 hours (based on 200lb cow and 20min / lb) (this must have entailed associated periodic, short term settlement) Share part of the prepared foods at the slaughter/butchery place (boiled/roasted - eyeballs, ‘offal’ etc) Main portion brought to primary settlement for storage or sharing?

While burnt mounds were probably put to a range of uses we must not ignore the possibility that there may have been one predominant use.

Butchery, Processing and Preservation

Surplus production

Production of food products for social storage or feasting

Storage (in fat, salting, dry cured?)

Boiling one cow could take up to 60 hours (based on 200lb cow and 20min / lb) (this must have entailed associated periodic, short term settlement)

Share part of the prepared foods at the slaughter/butchery place (boiled/roasted - eyeballs, ‘offal’ etc)

Main portion brought to primary settlement for storage or sharing?

CONCLUSIONS Must measure the right things Must record stratigraphically – attempt to associate contemporary hearths, troughs and pits Must do charcoal identifications Must do geological identifications Should consider Soil Chemical Analysis & tests for direct heat What analyses will pick up blood residues? Need a shared database of these sites – recording presence/absence of key features along with dimensions & dates (see Welsh roundhouse database) Need to agree terminology and definitions

Must measure the right things

Must record stratigraphically – attempt to associate contemporary hearths, troughs and pits

Must do charcoal identifications

Must do geological identifications

Should consider Soil Chemical Analysis & tests for direct heat

What analyses will pick up blood residues?

Need a shared database of these sites – recording presence/absence of key features along with dimensions & dates (see Welsh roundhouse database)

Need to agree terminology and definitions