N11 RATHNEW TO ARKLOW ROAD IMPROVEMENT

NMSR No.: E3204 SITE A022/019

NGR: 327444/179244 TOWNLAND: BALLYMOYLE COUNTY: WICKLOW

FINAL REPORT

ON BEHALF OF WICKLOW COUNTY COUNCIL

AND THE NATIONAL ROADS AUTHORITY

YVONNE WHITTY

JUNE 2009

N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement E3204 Final Report Ballymoyle A022/019

ABSTRACT

This site was located in the townland of Ballymoyle, c. 5km northwest of Arklow, Co. Wicklow. The archaeological excavation was carried out by Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd. on behalf of Wicklow County Council and the National Roads Authority in advance of the construction of the N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement.

The site was initially identified during archaeological testing carried out by IAC Ltd. under the same contract during August 2005. The testing revealed a pit measuring 1m by 0.7m that contained black silty soil with frequent charcoal inclusions along with possible ash and flecks of fire-reddened clay.

Subsequent excavation confirmed the presence of this pit and identified a further pit to the northeast. Both of these pits are believed to be related to burnt mound activity. The excavation area measured 24m by 22m (528m²). A large amount of flint artefacts were found at this site and sent for specialist analysis. Based on typological and technological assessment, the assemblage was found to show predominantly Neolithic traits. A single sherd of fine Beaker pottery was also recovered from this site. It was dated to Case’s style 2 pottery and is dated to c. 2450 – 2200 BC.

Analysis of oak charcoal recovered from the site indicates that the local environment of the site included a wooded dry area where oak trees would have grown. It is difficult to attribute a function to the charcoal identified on site but it may be representative of fuel used at the site in conjunction with activities associated with the pits.

It is interpreted that the activity recorded on this site dates to the late Neolithic/early Bronze Age based on dates returned from flint and pottery finds. This site was also located c. 70m south of Site A022/020, where the remains of a Neolithic house and associated pits and postholes were found. The activity comprised of two pits that are possibly related to burnt mound activity. Isolated pits containing later Neolithic/early Bronze Age pottery, including Beaker pottery, are not uncommon in the wider landscape and are often found without any obvious contemporary settlement activity in the immediate vicinity. Burnt mound activity in the area would not be unexpected given the marginal nature of the landscape and the number of burnt mound sites identified in close proximity. The presence of the Beaker pottery from one feature indicates that there was some small scale localised activity from this period in the vicinity of the site. This is an interesting addition to the previously scarce evidence for Beaker related activity in the region.

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd i N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement E3204 Final Report Ballymoyle A022/019

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The archaeological excavation at Ballymoyle, Co. Wicklow was carried out on behalf of Wicklow County Council and the National Roads Authority in advance of the construction of the N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement.

Consulting Engineers Engineer – Halcrow Barry Consulting Engineers Resident Engineer – Steve Hannaby and Rob Merridew

RDO Wicklow County Council Senior Engineer – Tom O’Leary Project Archaeologist – Noel Dunne Project Liaison Officer – Ruwelly Shenje

National Monuments, DoEHLG Archaeologist – Martin Reid

Irish Antiquities Division, National Museum of Ireland Keeper – Nessa O’Connor

ii Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement E3204 Final Report Ballymoyle A022/019

CONTENTS

Abstract i

Acknowledgements ii

Contents iii

List of Figures v List of Plates v

1 Introduction 1 1.1 Site Location 1 1.2 The Scope of the Project 1 1.3 Circumstances and Dates of Fieldwork 2

2 Archaeological Background 3 2.1 Project Location and Site Topography 3 2.2 Archaeological Landscape 3 2.2.1 Neolithic Landscape 4 2.2.2 Beaker Landscape 5 2.2.3 Bronze Age Landscape 8 2.2.4 Site Specific Archaeological Landscape 12 2.2.5 Typological Background of Burnt Mounds 13

3 Methodology 14 3.1 Introduction 14 3.2 Methodology 14 3.3 Report Production Methodology 14

4 Excavation Results 16 4.1 Group I - Natural Drift Geology 16 4.2 Group II – Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age Activity 16 4.3 Group III – Post Medieval Activity 19 4.4 Group IV – Topsoil 20

5 Synthesis and Discussion 22 5.1 Physical Setting 22 5.2 Summary of the Site Specific Archaeological Landscape 22 5.3 Summary of Excavation Results 22 5.4 Summary of the Specialist Analysis 23 5.5 Discussion 23

6 Bibliography 27

Figures

Plates

Appendix 1 Catalogue of Primary Data Appendix 1.1 Context Register Appendix 1.2 Artefact Catalogue

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Appendix 1.3 Archive Index Appendix 2 Specialist Reports Appendix 2.1 Charcoal and Wood ID Report – Ellen O’ Carroll Appendix 2.2 Lithics Report – Dr Farina Sternke Appendix 2.3 Prehistoric Pottery Report – Dr Eoghan Grogan and Helen Roche Appendix 3 List of N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Site Names

List of Figures Figure 1 Site A022/019 E3204, Site location on OS Discovery Series Background Figure 2 Site A022/019 E3204, Showing RMP and OS background Figure 3 Site A022/019 E3204, Showing detail of site within development Figure 4 Site A022/019 E3204, Post-excavation plan Figure 5 Site A022/019 E3204, Sections through [C14], [C16] and [C6] Figure 6 Site A022/019 E3204, Site Matrix Figure 7 Site A022/019 E3204, Illustration of lithic and prehistoric pottery (by Alva MacGowan)

List of Plates Plate 1 Mid-excavation view of pit [C6], facing northwest Plate 2 Post-excavation view of pit [C6], facing east Plate 3 Post-excavation view of possible pit [C14], facing north Plate 4 Mid-excavation view of field drain [C16], facing southwest

iv Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement E3204 Final Report Ballymoyle A022/019

1 INTRODUCTION

This final report provides comment and analysis on the archaeological excavation carried out in the townland of Ballymoyle, Co. Wicklow (Figure 1) as part of an archaeological mitigation program associated with the N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement. Archaeological fieldwork was directed by Yvonne Whitty of Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd. (IAC Ltd.) and was funded by Wicklow County Council and the National Roads Authority.

1.1 Site Location The site was located in Ballymoyle townland, Ennereilly parish and the barony of Arklow to the immediate east and west of the current N11, c. 5km northeast of Arklow (Wicklow OS sheet 41). The site details are:

• Site Ballymoyle, Ministerial Direction No.: A022/019, NMS Registration No. E3204, Route Chainage (Ch) 2120, NGR 327444/179244

The site was identified on gently sloping ground as a result of test trenching undertaken by IAC Ltd. under the same contract in August 2005 (Ministerial Direction No.: A022/001, David Bayley). The route was divided into 14 different test areas for the initial ground testing / assessment phase. Testing revealed a pit measuring 1m by 0.70m that contained black silty soil with frequent charcoal inclusions along with possible ash and flecks of fire-reddened clay.

Subsequent excavation confirmed the presence of this pit and identified a further pit to the northeast. A large amount of flint artefacts were found at the site, specialist analysis of the flint assemblage returned a Late Neolithic date (Appendix 2.2). A single sherd of fine Beaker pottery was also recovered from this site (Appendix 2.3). The excavation area measured 24m by 22m (528m²).

1.2 The Scope of the Project The proposed N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement is located between the northern limit of the N11 Arklow By-pass dual-carriageway in the townland of Ballinaskea and the southern limit of the N11 Newtownmountkennedy to Ballynabarney Road Improvement in the townland of Ballinaclogh, County Wicklow. It consists of approximately 16.3km of new dual carriageway, approximately 19km of new single carriageway local, regional and accommodation access roads, two grade separated interchanges, and several bridge/culvert river crossings. There are also a significant number of minor road realignments/modifications included in the scheme.

The route commences at the northern end of the full width dual carriageway section of the N11 Arklow By-pass. It involves the widening of the existing N11 corridor on it’s eastern side as far as Scratenagh Cross Roads where it crosses the proposed mainline to run generally on-line with widening to the west side of the existing carriageway.

An overbridge is proposed immediately north of Scratenagh to allow local traffic from adjacent county roads to cross over the dual carriageway. Access to existing communities and properties adjacent to the existing N11 will be maintained by the provision of an all-purpose local access road which will run parallel to the proposed dual carriageway. This all purpose road (to be called the R772) will utilise significant lengths of existing N11 carriageway, with new single carriageway constructed where required to complete the route.

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The proposed dual carriageway alignment passes west of Jack White’s Cross Roads and a grade-separated interchange is proposed at this location to provide local access from the all purpose road. Continuing north the alignment follows the line of the existing N11 to Kilmurry North where the preferred route then runs off-line to the east before crossing over the existing N11 at Ballinameesda Upper adjacent to Lil Doyle’s Public House. It then swings to the northwest, off the line of the existing N11, passing between the townlands of Ballinameesda Upper and Ballinameesda Lower before sweeping northeast. Access will be maintained by the construction of three new underbridges where the proposed mainline crosses the existing side roads on the L5664 to Kilbride, the L5158 to Kilboy and the L1157 to Ballinameesda Upper.

To the north of Ballinameesda Upper the alignment runs parallel and to the west of the existing carriageway swinging from a northwest line at Ballinameesda Upper to a northeast direction at Roscath. This alignment avoids crossing the line of the existing N11 at the Tap which enables the existing N11 to be used as an all purpose road for local traffic between the Beehive and Jack White’s.

North of Coolacork and Roscath the preferred route will run parallel with the west side of the N11 until it reaches the R751 and the ‘The Beehive’ junction. A second grade-separated interchange is proposed just to the west of ‘The Beehive’ junction. Thereafter the preferred route converges on the tie-in point with the south end of the N11 Newtownmountkennedy to Ballynabarney Road Improvement near Ballinaclogh.

1.3 Circumstances and Dates of Fieldwork The excavations were undertaken to offset the adverse impact of road construction on known and potential subsoil archaeological remains in order to preserve these sites by record.

Topsoil stripping of the area commenced on 3/07/2006. The order and date of the excavation is as follows:

• Cleaning back and pre-excavation planning commenced on 4/07/2006 with a team of 1 field director, 1 Supervisor, 6 assistant archaeologists and 4 general operatives.

• All features were subsequently fully excavated and recorded by hand, using the single context recording system with plans and sections being produced at a scale of 1:50 or 1:20 (sections were recorded generally at 1:10) and photographs where necessary.

• Excavation and recording of all features were completed by 13/07/2006.

The archive is currently stored in IAC’s facility in Lismore, Co Waterford and will ultimately be deposited with the National Museum of Ireland. All excavation and post excavation works were carried out in consultation and agreement with the Project Archaeologist, the National Monuments Section of the DOEHLG and the National Museum of Ireland.

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2 ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND

2.1 Project Location and Site Topography Wicklow is a coastal county in the southeast corner of Ireland. It has an area of 2025 square kilometres of diverse topography and 40km of coastline along the Irish Sea. The physical characteristics of the county have created two dramatically different environments, divided by a ridge of granite known as the Wicklow Mountains that extend south from Dublin Bay as far as Mount Brandon in Co Kilkenny. The soils of the county have developed on glacial materials deposited by successive glaciations. Generally, the soils in the county are fertile except for the peaty podzols, notable in the central upland areas (Stout 1994).The lowland coastal plains with fertile glacial soils are on the east whilst the peaty podzols in the upland mountainous region of the northwest and southwest pose a more isolated terrain. The Ballinaskea to Ballinaclogh section of the N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement travels approximately south to north through relatively flat countryside in the southeast of County Wicklow. There are gentle hills in the area, for example, Ballymurrin and Ballinameesda Upper and Lower – but generally the landscape is below 120m. Drainage is provided by small rivers, such as Potter’s River, Three Mile Water River, Redcross River and the many streams and tributaries feeding into them. Much of the land through which the proposed route passes are grazing fields, and there are boggy areas in several places, such as Roscath, Ballinameesda Upper, Togher, Ballyclogh North, Scratenagh and Cranagh. Plantation forestry exists in the townland of Ballinameesda Upper, mainly overlying the poorer land and pockets of mature woodland occur in Ballard Upper and Lower and Ballyrogan Lower.

Traditionally this is an area consisting of good farmland and through the practices of farming the enclosed landscape has changed very little from 1838 (the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map). The majority of the land is under pasture with little tillage. A survey of the townland names of the region has revealed that they clearly reflect the topography and land use of this small area, particularly before the advent of intensive farming and land drainage schemes. The townland names echo a landscape of scrubby thickets, pasture, perhaps cultivated hazel and willow groves and one or two ploughed fields, punctuated with a few small churches and houses; a landscape that alternates between small rock-strewn hills and low marshy basins (Halcrow Barry Ltd., 2004). It was determined that none of the names of the thirty townlands through which this stretch of road passes relates directly to pre-Christian monuments.

The site was located in Ballymoyle townland, Ennereilly parish and the barony of Arklow to the immediate east and west of the current N11, c. 5km northwest of Arklow.

2.2 Archaeological Landscape As part of the general research along the scheme and the particular research focussed on this site, the known archaeology from the surrounding environment was assessed. This involved the review of information from the EIS (Margeret Gowen Ltd., 2004), SMR records, previous excavations and developments, as well as any other relevant documentary sources including mapping, and the results of other excavations carried out as part of the N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement. It also involved typological research based on the nature and date of the excavated archaeology. The excavation at this site revealed two pits related to burnt mound activity. This has been dated through typological analysis to the Neolithic / early Bronze Age transition.

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2.2.1 Neolithic Landscape (c. 4000–2400BC) During the Neolithic Period (4000 – 2400 BC), the population in general became more settled, with a subsistence based on crop growing and stock-raising. The coastal plains of east Wicklow are thought to have witnessed the interface between Mesolithic and Neolithic activities in the area. However, the distribution and frequency of Megalithic Tombs constructed during the Neolithic indicates a dramatic shift from a coastal to an upland economy. The mountains of northwest Wicklow and the area of land which lies to the south of Rathdrum and eastwards towards Brittas are the key areas for Megalithic construction. Passage tombs represent the first substantial pattern of settlement and in turn are suggestive of a significant rise in the economic sustainability and affluence of the area. A single portal tomb is known near Brittas (WI036-008) located approximately 2km east of the N11. The small amount of other megaliths located in the east coastal lowlands are unclassified.

Prior to the N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement there were no known settlement sites dated to the Neolithic in the area. Evidence of Neolithic activity within the environs of the development stems from the discovery of random artefacts, often the only indicator of Neolithic activity in the vast areas without the presence of tombs. A mace head was found in Dunganstown East townland and a possible mace head was discovered in Ballynapark townland, both of which may well indicate prehistoric activity. A mace head is a worked stone object, which was probably attached to a wooden staff (a mace) and used during ceremonies. The example from Ballynapark, made of fine grained quartz sandstone, was found during the harrowing of fields on the west side of the N11 Arklow to Wicklow road at Jack White’s Crossroads. Both ends of the stone are naturally blunt and there is no evidence for wear that might indicate use as a hammer, though one edge had been worn smooth and flat (Halcrow Barry Ltd. 2004).

Several polished stone axeheads have also been discovered as isolated finds in south Co. Wicklow. However, none have been found in the vicinity of the current development route. One of the most interesting finds was a pair of porcellainite axeheads from Killamoat, approximately 35km to the west of the N11, which are thought to have originated in Rathlin Island or Tievebulliagh in northeast Ireland (Stout 1994, 11). O’ Nualláin has established the significance of coasts and rivers in the diffusion of the Neolithic ritual tombs, identifying a seaborne movement of communities into Wicklow during the 3rd Millennium BC (Stout 1994, 11).

A known flint scatter (WI 031:045) at Coolbeg was directly impacted by the development of the N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement. A grey flint axe head was also found in the 1950s in Coolbeg. An intensive field survey of the RMP site was conducted as part of the current project, which produced artefacts from four fields (Site A022/066). The presence of small pieces of debitage suggests that lithic production took place at the site. After analysis, the assemblage was determined to be probably late Neolithic (c. 2500 BC) or early Bronze Age in date based on the use of a bipolar smash-and-see technology that is synonymous with the Bronze Age (Sternke, 2007).

Some struck flints have been identified during the archaeological monitoring by Martin Byrne (99E0684) of the excavation of trial-pits for engineering/geotechnical purposes along the route of the N11 Newtownmountkennedy to Ballynabarney Road Improvement (Bennett 2000). In addition, an extensive lithic assemblage was recovered at the Johnstown South enclosure by Martin Fitzpatrick (96E0156: Bennett 1997) during archaeological investigations undertaken as part of the N11 Arklow By- pass. A large concentration of lithic material was uncovered in Ballynamuddagh townland, at the top of a steeply sloped field, on the north-western face of Bray Head,

4 Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement E3204 Final Report Ballymoyle A022/019 northeast Wicklow. The hoard comprises forty one cores, sixty flakes, six scrapers and two spalls. It is thought to represent a group of lithics collected at another location and deliberately deposited (00E0692: Bennett 2001). Many of these sites are associated with Bronze Age finds, as at Johnstown South.

Two sites on the scheme recorded Neolithic material. The present site and Site A022/020 Ballymoyle, both contained assemblages of lithics which were dated typologically to the Neolithic. One hundred and thirty six lithics were found from the archaeological investigations of two pits at the present site (Site A022/019). Site A022/020, located a further 70m to the north, comprised of a large settlement site of thirty four pits, postholes and stakeholes and produced forty-five lithic finds. While the assemblages were Neolithic in origin, the dates retrieved from Site A022/020 were between 1210 – 930 BC and 1420 – 1050 BC placing this site in a middle / middle- late Bronze Age context. While the dates for Site A022/020 indicate Bronze Age activity, the presence of the Neolithic assemblages at both sites certainly indicates Neolithic activity in the area. Five sites on the scheme were dated to the Neolithic period: Sites A022/021, 024, 050, 053 and 057. All but one site, Site A022/057, comprised of burnt spreads. Site A022/057 comprised of two pits.

2.2.2 Beaker Landscape (contributed by Neil Carlin) Beaker pottery is an essential aspect of a recurrent complex of material culture consisting of copper daggers, stone wristguards, arrowheads, v-perforated buttons and a distinctive burial rite that rapidly spread throughout Europe circa 2500 BC. The advent of Beakers signifies key changes in European society, yet its exact origins, method of distribution and social significance remain matters of debate. Its emergence is currently considered to indicate the development of a more hierarchical and individualistic society, whereby status was attained and represented by the competitive exchange and display of exotic goods. Beaker ‘culture’ is also thought to be the medium through which Atlantic-Europeans acquired the technological know- how required for the earliest copper metallurgy.

The Irish manifestation of this complex differs from elsewhere because stereotypical Beaker burials are rare, while settlements are comparatively common. A vast amount of new archaeological data concerning Beaker-related activities in Ireland has been generated by the increase in development led excavations (see Carlin 2005), yet much of this information remains unsynthesised.

Beaker Pottery was adopted in Ireland circa 2500/2400 BC, but the course of its development and the date at which it ceased to be used are unknown (Brindley 2005a). The Beaker component of the Irish archaeological record is viewed as being rich in settlement evidence yet, lacking in a funerary component (Case 1995a, 19; O’Brien 2005). Thus, the Irish Beaker tradition is considered to be more similar to that of the Atlantic region while the British Beaker tradition is considered to fall within the north western European tradition where Beakers are predominantly used for funerary practice and more specifically for use in single graves (see O’Brien 2005, 565, Burgess 1979, Case 1995a, 19, Mercer 1977, Thomas 1999, Needham 1996, 128, Cooney & Grogan 1999, 87). More recent excavations and studies indicate that this view may be a gross oversimplification and fails to give adequate cognisance to the complexity of the funerary evidence within the British Isles (see Gibson 2004). Beakers in Ireland have been seen as synonymous with copper metallurgy (Scott 1977a & b, Sheridan 1983, Case 1967, Apsimon 1969). Excavations at Ross Island have confirmed that people using Beaker pottery undertook the earliest copper metallurgy in Ireland (O’Brien 2005, O’Brien 1995). This is in keeping with other European regions including France (O’Brien 2005, 557).

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The typical Beaker site in Ireland consists of occupational spreads, and pits and postholes that often lack any recognisable pattern. Traditionally, we expect a settlement to have a structure, but increasingly it is being recognised that the survival of structural evidence is dependent upon the architectural technology used and the level of preservation enjoyed (Grogan 1996, 51, Gibson 1992, 41, Bradley 1970, Simpson 1971, 140, McInnes 1971, 123, Lynn 1978, 29, Doody 2000, 144). While some structures have been found in association with Beakers, the absence of a readily identifiable house should not lead one to conclude that evidence for settlement is lacking. Aspects of a site other than structures may be used to indicate the stability of a settlement (Carlin 2005). These include a wide range of tools, a high modified tool ratio (as a percentage of the total chipped stone assemblage), evidence of cereal cultivation in the form of carbonised cereal grains and quernstones, burnt mounds and/or associate trough, pits and postholes, hearths, mettled surfaces, burnt flint, burnt and unburnt animal bone and hammer stones. If the above occur together on a site, it can be concluded that it had a long-term residential function. This is so because many of these features are indicative of a substantial investment of energy and time and one would not expect to find these on a site that had not been used for a substantial phase of occupation.

Beaker sites are usually found on free-draining, fertile soils on south- and southeast- facing slopes and thus, the location of this newly discovered activity is somewhat uncharacteristic. However, most Beaker sites in Leinster are within 8km of the coast and within 1km of a river and this aspect of the Wicklow sites is stereotypical (see Carlin 2005a; 2005b). An unusual aspect of the Beaker sites from the scheme was the absence of evidence for cereal cultivation in the form of carbonised cereal grains and quernstones as these are a common aspect of contemporary sites in Ireland (Carlin 2005a; 2005b). This scenario could have resulted from the sampling strategies employed and/or the poor preservation of seeds and grain, but it is more likely to be an accurate representation of the limited land-use capability of this area and of the short-term nature of the activities conducted here.

A greater density of contemporaneous activity in the immediate environs of the Beaker-associated sites is suggested by the discovery of a flat bronze Killaha axe dating from c. 2100 - 1900 BC in a reclaimed bog in Coolbeg (Mount 2001) and the excavation of numerous fulachta fiadh along the routeway of the N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement that have been radiocarbon dated to the final Neolithic/early Bronze Age: Scratenagh (Site A022/024), Cranagh (Site A022/034), Kilmurry North (Site A022/050), Roscath (Site A022/063), Coolbeg (Site A022/064), and Coolbeg (Site A022/071). Sites of this type are often connected to the seasonal use of marginal areas by local communities (see Grogan 2005, 138) and the large numbers of these may suggest that the southeastern coastal plain was peripheral to a greater settlement core.

There is considerable evidence for activity that was broadly contemporary within the wider surroundings of the Beaker sites discovered on the roadway. A cluster of Beaker sites have been excavated at Charlesland, Co. Wicklow, as part of a large- scale residential development that revealed an extensive Bronze Age landscape on the east coast 15km north of Coolbeg. Seven sherds of Beaker pottery were found in a few pits and postholes that formed one aspect of the multi-period Bronze Age activity at Site A (Molloy 2003; Brindley 2003). At Charlesland Site 1B, a pit contained three sherds of Beaker pottery from a single vessel and 16 sherds from two early Neolithic Carinated Bowls (Molloy 2004a; Grogan 2004). A single Beaker sherd was found in a pit on an early medieval site (Molloy 2004b; Grogan 2004), while 72 sherds of Beaker pottery from five pots were found in the mound of a fulacht fiadh at Site 1B (Phelan 2004; Roche and Grogan 2005). A set of graded yew pipes,

6 Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement E3204 Final Report Ballymoyle A022/019 that may have been part of a composite musical instrument, were found at the base of a trough at Charlesland Site CA1 and timber from one of the pipes was radiocarbon dated to 2137 – 1909 BC (Molloy 2005).

At Rathdown, Co. Wicklow (Eogan and O’Brien 2005), 1km north of the Charlesland complex, a range of features including a habitation surface, pits, stakeholes, and a linear ditch produced 25 sherds from eight Beaker vessels. One of the Beaker pits was radiocarbon dated from (Beta 202304) 2470 – 2210 BC (2σ). A Beaker sherd was found during field walking in the land in between the sites at Charlesland and Rathdown by Sinead Cafferkey (1996). Several possible Beaker sites were excavated on the N11 Newtownmountkennedy to Ballynabarney Road Improvement which joins the present road to the north. Examples of these possible sites include Kilmartin, Co. Wicklow (01E1072: McLoughlin 2006) and Rathmore (02E0864: MacManus 2006); unfortunately, post-excavation analysis of this project remains uncompleted.

At Templerainy, Co. Wicklow (O’Riordain 1998), 2.6km south of Ballymoyle, the excavation of three isolated pits resulted in the discovery of cremated bone and 273 sherds of pottery representing an estimated 12 Beaker vessels (Roche 2004). Situated 2.2 km south of this, at Kilbride, Co. Wicklow (Breen 1997), two linear slot- trenches contained 20 sherds derived from four late Beaker pots on a site with features containing Vases and Cordoned Urns. Four Beaker sites have recently been excavated on the N11 Gorey Bypass, c. 15km south of Ballymoyle.

Wedge tombs were built from 2400 – 2100 BC (Brindley and Lanting 1991/92, 25); Beaker sherds have been found in association with cremated and un-burnt human bone in apparently primary positions in up to nine wedge tombs. These monuments are almost certainly of final Neolithic–early Bronze Age construction and indicate the presence of Beaker associated activity within their surroundings. Four of these occur in Co. Wicklow and the tomb at Mongnacool Lower is located in the southeast – 10km west of Ballymoyle (Grogan and Kilfeather 1997, 6–7). There are at least five rock art sites in Co. Wicklow and three of these occur on the eastern periphery of the Wicklow Mountains within 20km of the Beaker activity on the N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement: Sevenchurches/Camaderry, Ballynanima and Threewells (Grogan and Kilfeather 1997, 28–9). These are decorated with cup-marks, a tradition dating from the late Neolithic–early Bronze Age (Bradley 1997; Burgess 1990). Combined with the Mongnacool wedge tomb, these suggest that there was a wide distribution of Beaker activity in the vicinity of the newly discovered sites from this road scheme.

In Wicklow, most early Bronze Age burials are concentrated around the northern and western foothills of the Wicklow Mountain (Mount 1997, 63); however, there does appear to be a smaller concentration along the Avoca and Aughrim River Valley in South Wicklow and a few examples are known from the coastal plain. A crouched inhumation in a cist with sherds of Bowl or vase was found 12km north of Coolbeg, at Blackditch, Co. Wicklow (Waddell 1990, 159). Another cist at Knockanree Lower, Co. Wicklow, 6km west of Ballymoyle contained a Bowl and possible cremation burial (Waddell 1990, 165). At Aughrim, Co. Wicklow, 14km west of Ballymoyle, a cremation burial was found with Bowl or Vase sherds. A Bowl was found in a cist that formed part of an early Bronze Age cemetery at Ballinagore, Co. Wicklow, 12km southwest of Ballymoyle (Ó Donnabháin 1996).

Beaker-associated features were excavated on four sites along the route of the N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement from Ballinaskea to Ballinaclogh, Co. Wicklow: Coolbeg (Site A022/073: Tobin 2006a), Ballyclogh North (Site A022/046:

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Whitty 2006a), Kilmurry South (Site A022/049: Tobin 2007), and Ballymoyle (Site A022/019: Whitty 2007). Only 43 sherds from six Beaker vessels were found on this scheme and almost all of these displayed the typical Beaker S-shaped profile and simple horizontally arranged zonal ornamentation. Pottery of this kind can be classified as belonging to Clarke’s European Bell Beaker, or his Wessex/Middle Rhine types (1970) and to Case’s (1995) Style 2 which is considered to date from c. 2450 – 2200 BC. Sherds from one pot at Kilmurry may be a late Beaker of Case’s (1993) Style 3 (Grogan and Roche 2006).

2.2.3 Bronze Age Landscape (2400–500 BC) It is in the Bronze Age that substantial evidence for settlement in this area emerges. According to Stout (1994), there are several groupings or foci of known Bronze Age activity within Wicklow; four of which she identifies west of the Wicklow mountains. The evidence for at least three areas of activity along the east in the area under discussion were also outlined, but not in as much detail. Most notably there is a focus of sites, such as standing stones, burials and rock art, along the Avoca valley.

The discovery of a fragmented gold torc also gives credence to Bronze Age activity in this region as twisted gold torcs normally date to c. 1200 - 900 BC (the later Bronze Age). The fragment appears to have traces of an original hooked terminal, thought to be a specifically Irish form, while the other end has been broken and hammered flat, possibly in modern times (NMI: 1980:111). Further evidence of activity in the area during this period of prehistory is reflected in a small bronze axe found during ploughing in 1982, in Coolbeg. The blade end of a socketed bronze axe dating to the later Bronze Age was discovered in the spoil of a site at Ballynapark (Site A022/035) near Jack Whites cross roads. The blade end appears to have broken in antiquity, possibly after being embedded in timber or possibly in the moulding process. This site was near to several others with Bronze Age activity, including one possible industrial site, featuring pits and fire reddened clay (Site A022/034) which produced a date range of 2290 – 1960 BC and 2140 – 1910 BC.

Ritual Only two of the ten known areas of rock art dating to this period are located in the west, with the majority being clustered in the southeast near standing stones west of the Avoca valley (Stout 1994, 13). The frequency and distribution of ritual sites around the southeast of Wicklow is not reflected in the archaeological record of recent excavations in the region. A Bronze Age enclosure in Johnstown South (WI041-005), 4km north of Arklow town. This large sub-circular banked enclosure revealed extensive activity throughout the site (96E0156: Bennett 1997). Several furnaces and hearths indicate that this site was a centre of industry, also involved in producing flint artefacts (hollow-based arrowheads, scrapers, blades, a barbed and tanged arrowhead and a leaf-shaped arrowhead) and pottery. A number of ring ditches on the N11 Newtownmountkennedy to Ballynabarney Road Improvement may indicate ritual activity, but generally consist of burial monuments with cremation pits. However, Site 27 (02E1434; Bennett 2003) Mount Usher consisted of a single, large, ring ditch enclosing an internal structure marked by post-holes. Within the structure, there was evidence of a possible cremation pyre. Evidence for at least three cremation burials was also found. The structural elements and associated possible cremation pyre suggest a ritual activity at this site.

Burial During the late Neolithic and Bronze Age periods, a simple earthen mound known as a tumulus was used to cover burials. One of the only recorded prehistoric monuments in proximity to this lower section of the N11 is a tumulus at Coolmore (WI 036:021), which lies to the northeast of a complex of burnt mounds at Scratenagh.

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Other monuments associated with burial in the Bronze Age are barrows. These are earthen burial monuments, which consist of a circular area surrounded by a fosse often with an external bank. Barrows are often grouped together in cemeteries, but in the Archaeological Inventory of Co. Wicklow, all known examples are isolated (Grogan and Kilfeather 1997, 15). Grogan found that burial sites (i.e. cremation cemeteries) were often located along floodplains and rivers in areas of poor soils, whereas associated settlement sites would have been preferably located upon the higher river terraces. Therefore, many of these burials may have been destroyed or removed through intensive farming concentrated in the east lowlands.

The term ring-ditch is applied to barrows with a flat centre, several of which were excavated on the N11 Newtownmountkennedy to Ballynabarney Road Improvement to the north, such as at Killadreenan (02E0735: Bennett 2003). These sites are also thought to date to the Bronze Age (c.2400 – 500 BC) and early Iron Age (500 BC - AD 400). They were initially thought to be isolated phenomena in the landscape, such as the ring ditch recorded in Rosanna Upper (WI025–036) to the northwest of Rathnew. However, an extensive ring ditch cemetery is listed at Kilpoole Upper c. 400m from the coast (Stephenson 2004, 27). Cairns – stone covered burials, are known from the summits of the Great Sugar Loaf in north Wicklow (near Ballyremon Commons). However, the most frequent type of recorded burial along the east lowlands appears to comprise of cists – earthen or stone lined pits. Examples of known cist burials in southeast Wicklow are found at Glenteige (WI040-036, 7), at Ballynerrin near Wicklow town (WI025-014) and at Knockanree Lower (WI035-041) (Stout 1994, 38); with a Bronze Age cemetery excavated in Ballinagore (94E175: Bennett 1995). Unfortunately, these are usually found by chance during ploughing or gravel quarrying, as they are generally unmarked on the surface.

Settlement The distribution of Bronze Age settlement left the east lowlands of Co Wicklow relatively lacking in substantial settlement or ritual activity, when compared to the northwest and southwest regions. A major excavation on the N11 Newtownmountkennedy to Ballynabarney Road Improvement revealed a large prehistoric enclosure at Rathmore. Several pits in the interior were discovered, one of which produced a cremation urn. However, no structures were apparent. This high ridged area has been interpreted as a focus of intense Neolithic and Bronze Age ritual activity. Most interestingly a large complex of burnt mounds was discovered here adding to the economic and secular importance of the area. These will be further discussed later. The visual link of the Rathmore enclosure to features across the ravine in the adjacent townland of Kilmartin suggests related activity. Sites at Kilmartin produced large quantities of both lithics and pottery dating to this period proving these sites to be of importance during the late Neolithic and Bronze Age.

A Bronze Age settlement site was recently discovered at Kilbride near the banks of the Potters River comprising of an oval foundation trench, diameter 7.5m, with several postholes thought to delineate an entrance (97E324: Bennett 1998). On a much larger scale in the northeast of the county, south of Kilmacanoge, a round house of the double-ringed form, with an outer wall slot and internal ring of roofing posts was discovered on a multi-period settlement site (01E0572: Bennett 2002). A number of well established settlement sites are known in the northern half of Wicklow. In recent excavations, a large scale settlement site was discovered in Ballynamuddagh (00E0696: Bennett 2001). Another was found at Cooladangan (A003/053) near the southern boundary of Co. Wicklow in the course of the construction of the N11 Arklow By-pass.

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Excavations at Charlesland, located in the northeast of the county to the south of Greystones, Co. Wicklow and to the east of the N11 have revealed an area of high status Bronze Age settlement and ritual activity. In addition to the settlement sites (03E0018 and 03E1028: Bennett 2004) and ring ditch enclosures associated with cremations, several large burnt mounds were also discovered. One site in particular, a large burnt mound with a wood and wattle lined pit, revealed a set of wooden musical instruments at the base of the trough during excavation (03E0592: Bennett 2004). Within this vicinity several similar sites were uncovered at Killincarrig (93E0001 & 93E0001ext.: Bennett 1994).

Burnt Mounds Fulachta fiadh are an integral part of the prehistoric landscape in Ireland, providing significant evidence of activity with little artefact deposition. Surprisingly, they also form the highest frequency of a single prehistoric monument in Ireland and over the years have generated much interest and interpretation of their function. Current available dates suggest that the tradition of building and using burnt mounds spans most of the early, middle and late Bronze Age (although there would appear to be a concentration of use in the middle Bronze Age). In Ireland, early literary accounts of the use of troughs for cooking purposes have been cited as evidence that burnt mounds were common as late as the 16th century AD (O’ Drisceoil, 1988). There are seventeen recorded fulachta fiadh in the Co. Wicklow inventory (Grogan & Kilfeather 1997). Between 1980 and 2003 seventy three licensed excavations have been undertaken on burnt mounds, spreads and fulachta fiadh in Wicklow (Bennett, 1987- 2005).

The distribution of burnt mounds in Co. Wicklow tends to be concentrated in the east, a narrow plain based on Paleozoic rocks and adjacent to streams or lakes. The glacial drift of sandstones and flagstones are favoured by those in the construction of fulachta fiadh, however, gley soils contribute to poor drainage, providing a possible explanation for the lack of other Bronze Age sites (Condit, 1990, 20). Of the sixteen fulachta fiadh detailed in the Archaeological Inventory of Co. Wicklow, three groups are located at the foot of Djouce Mountain in proximity to the Vartry River or other streams running into the Vartry Reservoir (Grogan and Kilfeather, 1997). These represent the farthest known inland sites in Wicklow. Unfortunately the majority of excavated evidence for fulachta fiadh is derived from N11 improvement schemes which have, unavoidably, produced a bias for the overall distribution of this monument in the landscape. However, the recorded fulachta fiadh in Co. Wicklow are located in the east lowlands of the county with a few outliers, such as at Ballyremon Commons, lining the base of the mountains. Approximately thirty two out of seventy three excavations occurred within proximity and clear sight of a river/stream and were evidently waterlogged, whilst the majority of sites are located within 5km of the coast (along the N11 corridor).

In the townlands of Ballyremon Commons (WI007:047, 048; WI012:005, 006; licence ref. 0219122) and Sraghmore (WI012:062:2, 3, 4) fulachta fiadh are grouped in close vicinity, while at Glasnamullan (WI012:054, 055, 056) a trio of sites may also represent a small complex. This might suggest that when one fulacht fiadh became unusable, another was simply dug nearby. It might also indicate that the locations were specifically chosen and visited over many years or even over several generations. Salvage excavation and surveying was undertaken by Victor Buckley in 1983 (licence ref. 0219122) at Ballyremon Commons in north Co. Wicklow, producing a date of c. 1400 BC. Ballyremon Commons is surrounded by raised bog (Calary Bog to the east). Excavation revealed a sub-rectangular clay lined pit, in which a large quartzite slab and a trio of stakes (perhaps forming a tripod construction within the

10 Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement E3204 Final Report Ballymoyle A022/019 pit) were found. One of the stakes yielded a middle Bronze Age date for the use of the pit.

Lying 15 – 17 km to the northwest of this scheme, this area has been interpreted as encapsulating a complete Bronze Age settlement pattern (habitation on the higher, better drained bog island and fulachta fiadh at the wetland margin and burial monuments in a prominent, but isolated position). Furthermore Buckley suggested that the use of quartzite during the heating process resulted in higher resistance and less cracking, and as a result less shattered debris would be created. This may explain the previously low numbers of known fulachta fiadh in Co. Wicklow (Buckley 1998, 112).

Two burnt mounds and one large fulacht fiadh were revealed in 1993 in the townland of Killincarrig (93E0001 and ext.: Bennett 1994) c. 1km northwest of Charlesland, where a series of similar sites were exposed. Unusually Charlesland 1 (03E0592: Bennett 2004), a burnt mound with four troughs, unearthed wooden pipes, which were interpreted as a musical instrument, at the base of a wood and wattle lined trough. This group of sites is located less than 1km inland from the coast. A large number of fulachta fiadh has been revealed along a section of the realigned N11 in the area south of Cullenmore townland and north of Ashford village. The most notable complex was revealed in the townland of Rathmore (01E0471: Bennett 2002) between Kilmartin and Inchanappa, where twenty four burnt mounds were excavated as part of the N11 Newtownmountkennedy to Ballynabarney Road Improvement, over a stretch of landscape running c. 800m. The majority of the mounds found at Rathmore were each associated with a single rectangular trough, returning dates from the Bronze Age c.2000 – 500 BC. There was a collection of high status finds from these sites, including flint scrapers, flint flakes, a flint knife and a possible fragment of Bronze Age gold ring money. Three burnt mounds and one small spread of burnt mound material were excavated at the site at Inchanappa South (04E1717: Bennett 2005). The sites were located in the small valley of a tributary of the Vartry River, an area prone to being quite wet.

Newly discovered archaeological sites, uncovered as a result of the construction of the N11 Newtownmountkennedy to Ballynabarney Road Improvement included a number of burnt mounds, or fulachta fiadh (e.g. in Ballyhenry and Inchanappa).

Sixty three sites were identified and excavated along the route of the N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement, of which thirty two have been interpreted as representing the remains of burnt mounds, fulachta fiadh and/or shallow burnt spreads. Five sites produced dates from the Neolithic Period – Sites A022/021, 050, 053, 057 and 064. Three sites produced dates representing late Neolithic-early Bronze Age activity – Site A022/024, 050 and 063. The majority of the sites, however, produced dates from the early and middle Bronze Age. The early Bronze Age activity was recorded at Sites A022/017, 027, 032, 034, 035, 041, 044, 050, 054, 060, 061, 063, 071, 073 and 074. Three sites returned dates from the cusp of the early / middle Bronze Age: Sites A022/022, A022/038 and A022/053. Middle Bronze Age activity was identified at Sites A022/017, 020, 026, 043, 044, 045, 046, 052, 053 and 063.

Five burnt mound sites showed evidence of activity across a number of periods. Site A022/017 in Ballinaskea, Site A022/044 in Ballyclogh North and Site A022/063 in Roscath show evidence for both early Bronze Age and middle Bronze Age activity. Site A022/050 in Kilmurry North produced Neolithic and late Neolithic-early Bronze Age dates, while Site A022/053 Ballyvaltron had a Neolithic and middle Bronze Age date. The complex of mounds and spreads at Coolacork (Sites A022/061 and A022/062) and Roscath (Site A022/063) had the most significant date range with

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd 11 N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement E3204 Final Report Ballymoyle A022/019 dates from the late Neolithic, early and middle Bronze Age and late Bronze Age. This was the only burnt mound site to produce a late Bronze Age date 1210 – 930 BC and the range of dates clearly shows a continuation of settlement in this area. Nine sites from the scheme were undated.

There are six distinct groups or complexes of burnt mounds along the N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement comprising 26 sites in total, whereas the rest of the six burnt mounds excavated remain in our knowledge as isolated phenomena. The range of dating for these sites indicates a sequence and continuation of activity from the Neolithic through to the Bronze Age.

The first complex was identified in Ballinaskea where Site A022/017 returned dates between 1430 – 1120 BC and 2210 – 1970 BC. This is associated with four nearby examples, two of which were previously excavated in association with the N11 Arklow By-pass and two RMP sites. These were located less than 300m away in Johnston North (97E207, 97E0252, WI041-004, WI041-007,).

Four sites ranging in date from the late Neolithic to the middle Bronze Age were identified in Scratenagh – Sites A022/021, 022, 023, 024 and 026. These range in date from 2630 – 2350 BC and 1381 – 1001 BC, with Site A022/023 dating to the Iron Age (390 – 200 BC). While Site A022/023 produced an Iron Age date, it is interpreted that the burnt mound is Bronze Age and that the dated feature was not associated.

In Ballynapark there were three sites – Sites A022/035, 037 and 038 – with a further two sites nearby in Cloghoge – Sites A022/039 and A022/081 and one nearby in Cranagh Site A022/032. This complex of sites is dated to the early and middle Bronze Age ranging in date from 2130 – 1880 BC and 1520 – 1390 BC.

Similar date ranges were recorded for six sites in Ballyclogh North and South – Sites A022/040, 041, 043, 044, 045 and 046 ranging in date from 2020 – 1770 BC and 1320 – 1000 BC.

Five sites were identified in Kilmurry South (Sites A022/047 and 048), Kilmurry North (Site A022/050) and Ballyvarton (Sites A022/052 and 053). This complex contained some of the earliest dated burnt mounds on the scheme ranging from the Neolithic to the middle Bronze Age with dates from 3959 – 3695 BC and 1270 – 1010 BC.

The final complex was centred on the townlands of Coolacork (Sites A022/061 and A022/062) and Roscath (Site A022/063) which have already been referred to above. These ranged in date from 2460 – 2040 BC and 1210 – 930 BC.

The burnt mound sites from the N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement provide evidence of continuity of settlement from the Neolithic through the Bronze Age with a clear peak of activity in the early and middle Bronze Age. This continuity of settlement is also evidenced by the number of complexes or groups of sites across the scheme, all of which have produced a range of dates.

2.2.4 Site Specific Archaeological Landscape The immediate landscape in Ballymoyle contains several sites dating to the Bronze Age period. To the south in Ballinaskea there is a complex of burnt mound sites extending from Johnstown North, 1.3km to the south of the present site. This complex contains two RMP sites (WI041-004 and WI041-007), Site A022/017 from the current scheme and two sites excavated as part of the N11 Arklow By-pass (97E207 and 97E0252).

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The present site (Site A022/019) was one of four sites along the scheme that contained Beaker pottery. The others were Coolbeg (Site A022/073), Ballyclogh North (Site A022/046) and Kilmurry South (Site A022/049). Only 43 sherds from six Beaker vessels were found on this scheme and almost all of these displayed the typical Beaker S-shaped profile and simple horizontally arranged zonal ornamentation. Pottery of this kind can be classified as belonging to Clarke’s European Bell Beaker, or his Wessex/Middle Rhine types (1970) and to Case’s (1995) Style 2 which is considered to date from c. 2450–2200 BC. Sherds from one pot at Kilmurry may be a late Beaker of Case’s (1993) Style 3 (Grogan and Roche 2006).

A possible settlement site was excavated at Site A022/020 Ballymoyle which is located c. 40m to the north of the present site (Site A022/019). This site was dated to the middle Bronze Age with 2 dates returned (1420–1050 BC and 1210–930 BC). A number of flint artefacts were recovered from this site that were typologically dated to the late Neolithic. It is possible that these are in fact related to the present site (Site A022/019) which consisted of two pits, one of which contained a sherd of Beaker pottery, which would place the site in the late Neolithic/early Bronze Age period.

A second complex of burnt mounds is evident in the area to the north of Ballymoyle in the townland of Scratenagh where a further 6 burnt mound sites were identified (Sites A022/021–026). Five of these ranged in date from the late Neolithic to the middle Bronze Age. The sixth (Site A022/025) dated to the late Bronze Age/early Iron Age.

The analysis of the surrounding archaeological landscape shows a continuity of activity from the Neolithic through to the latter stages of the Bronze Age. Much of this activity is in the form of burnt mounds which is to be expected given the low-lying nature of the natural topography. Further continuity of settlement is evidenced by a number of early medieval sites in the locality – enclosure WI041-004, ecclesiastical remains WI041-002-001-005 – with excavated evidence from the nearby Site A022/016 Ballinaskea where a pit was dated to AD 380–580.

2.2.5 Typological Background of Burnt Mounds The excavation at this site revealed archaeology related to burnt mound activity. Burnt mound sites (also commonly referred to as fulachta fiadh) are one of the most common field monuments found in the Irish landscape. The last published survey (Power et al. 1997), carried out over a decade ago, recorded over 7,000 burnt mound sites and in excess of 1,000 sites have been excavated in recent years through development led archaeological investigations. In spite of this no clear understanding of the precise function of these sites has being forthcoming.

Burnt mound sites are typically located in areas where there is a readily available water source, often in proximity to a river or stream or in places with a high water table. In the field burnt mounds may be identified as charcoal-rich mounds or spreads of heat shattered stones, however, in many cases the sites have been disturbed by later agricultural activity and are no longer visible on the field surface. Nevertheless even disturbed spreads of burnt mound material often preserves the underlying associated features, such as troughs, pits and gullies, intact.

Ó Néill (2003–2004, 82) has aptly identified these sites as the apparatus and by- product of pyrolithic technology. This technology involved the heating or boiling of water by placing fire-heated stones into troughs of water. Small shallow round- bottomed pits, generally referred to as pot boiler pits or roasting pits, are often associated with burnt mound sites. The purpose of these pits remains unclear.

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Occasionally large pits are also identified and may have acted as wells or cisterns. Linear gullies may extend across the site, often linked to troughs and pits, and demonstrate a concern with onsite water management. Post and stakeholes are often found on burnt mound sites and these may represent the remains of small structures or wind breakers.

Burnt mound sites are principally Bronze Age monuments and reach their pinnacle of use in the middle/late Bronze Age (Brindley et al. 1989−90; Corlett 1997). Earlier sites, such as Enniscoffey Co. Westmeath (Grogan et al. 2007, 96), have been dated to the Neolithic and later sites, such as Peter Street, Co. Waterford (Walsh, 1990, 47), have been dated to the medieval period. Thus although burnt mound sites generally form a components of the Bronze Age landscape, the use of pyrolithic technology has a long history in Ireland.

Although there is a general consensus that burnt mound sites are the result of pyrolithic technology for the heating or boiling of water, the precise function of these sites has, to date, not been agreed upon. Several theories have been proposed but no single theory has received unanimous support. The most enduring theory is that burnt mounds sites were used as cooking sites. O’Kelly (1954) and Lawless (1990) have demonstrated how joints of meat could be efficiently cooked in trough of boiling water. The use of burnt mound sites for bathing or as saunas has been suggested as an alternative function (Lucas 1965, Barfield and Hodder 1987, O’ Drisceoil 1988). This proposal is largely influenced by references in the early Irish literature to sites of a similar character and is very difficult to prove, or disprove. Others, such as Jeffrey (1991), argue that they may have been centres of textile production for the fulling or dyeing of cloth. More recent demonstrations by Quinn and Moore (2007) have shown that troughs could have been used for brewing, however, this theory has been criticised by leading Irish environmentalists due to the absence of cereal remains from most burnt mound sites (McClatchie et al. 2007).

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3 METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction The excavation at Site A022/019, Ballymoyle was undertaken as part of archaeological mitigation for the N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement in the townland of Ballymoyle.

3.2 Methodology The topsoil was reduced to the interface between natural and topsoil using a 20 tonne excavator machine equipped with a flat toothless bucket under strict archaeological supervision. The remaining topsoil was removed by the archaeological team with the use of shovels, hoes and trowels in order to expose and identify the archaeological remains. A site grid was set up at 10m intervals and was subsequently calibrated to the national grid using GPS survey equipment.

It did not prove necessary to divide the site into more than one area. The site was therefore treated as a single area measuring 24m by 22m (528m²).

All features were subsequently fully excavated by hand and recorded using the single context recording system with plans and sections being produced at a scale of 1:50, 1:20 or 1:10 as appropriate.

A complete photographic record was maintained throughout the excavation. Digital photographs were taken of all features and of work in progress.

An environmental strategy was devised at the beginning of the excavation. Features exhibiting large amounts of carbonised material were the primary targets.

The archive is currently stored in IAC’s facility in Lismore, Co Waterford and will ultimately be deposited with the National Museum of Ireland.

3.3 Report Production Methodology Groups and subgroups For the purpose of this report the archaeological remains are described by way of sub-groups (stratigraphically connected contexts, generally derived from a defined and stratigraphically independent archaeological action or sequence of actions). Groups define related sub-groups. Phasing of the site is based on the grouping of the groups, and this is described in the discussion (Section 5).

In the following text, the author has used three types of brackets: { } = These enclose Subgroup numbers. ( ) = These enclose Deposit/Fill numbers [ ] = These enclose both Cut and Masonry Structure numbers

The author has allocated Subgroup numbers starting from {1000} to avoid confusion with existing context numbers.

Example: • Subgroup {3400} consists of Cut [x] and fills (y) and (z) Subgroup {3456} consists of Cut [a] and fill (b), Cut [c] and fill (d), Cut [e] and fill (f). Cuts [a], [c], and [e] have been shown to be related and can therefore be placed in one collective Subgroup.

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All sites on the scheme have been referenced in the text with their site code and townland. A full list of sites from the scheme is available in Appendix 3.

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4 EXCAVATION RESULTS

4.1 GROUP I: Natural Drift Geology

4.1.1 Subgroup: {1001} Natural drift geology Contexts: C Area Fill of Filled by Interpretation Description 2 Site - - Natural geology Mid brown sandy clay which contained infrequent sub- rounded stone inclusions.

Finds: None

Interpretation: Natural boulder clay formed the natural subsoil across the site.

GROUP I Discussion: Natural Drift Geology Group Subgroup Subgroup Type Period by Period by Group Interpretation Finds/Stratigraphy Interpretation 1 1001 Natural N/A N/A Natural geology

The natural subsoil was level and consistent across the site. All the archaeological features identified on the site were cut into the subsoil.

4.2 GROUP II: Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age Activity

4.2.1 Subgroup: {1002} Pit Contexts: C Type Fill Filled Depth Length Width Description Interpretation of by (m) (m) (m) 5 Fill C6 1 0.90 - Dark grey, compact sandy clay which had frequent Fill of a pit charcoal and flint inclusions 6 Cut C5, 0.70 3.1 1.05 Irregular shaped cut, NE-SW orientation. The break of Pit C18, slope at the northern end was sharp while at the eastern C19, end it was not perceptible. The sides at the eastern and C20, western ends were steeply sloped, while those at the C21 northern and southern ends were moderately sloped. The shape of the base was uneven. 18 Fill C6 0.08 0.28 - Yellowish grey, loose sandy clay which had very Uppermost fill occasional charcoal concentrations and occasional sub- of C6 pit angular and angular stones, between 0.02m and 0.07m in diameter. 19 Fill C6 0.40 1.95 - Light brown mottled with dark brown, soft silty sand. Fill of pit

20 Fill C6 0.30 1.19 - Dark grey, loose sandy clay which contained a moderate Secondary fill amount of charcoal inclusions and very occasional small of C6 pit sub-angular stones and occasional flecking of heat affected clay. 21 Fill C6 0.21 1.42 - Mid grey, loose sandy clay, which had no inclusions. Primary fill of C6 pit

Finds: Find # Context # Material Period Description E3204/A022/019:5:1-2 5 Flint Late Neolithic Flint flake E3204/A022/019:5:3 5 Flint Late Neolithic Debitage E3204/A022/019:5:4 5 Flint Late Neolithic Flint scraper E3204/A022/019:5:5-8 5 Flint Late Neolithic Natural chunk E3204/A022/019:5:9-10 5 Flint Late Neolithic Flint flake

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E3204/A022/019:5:11-12 5 Flint Late Neolithic Debitage E3204/A022/019:19:1 19 Flint Late Neolithic Flint flake E3204/A022/019:19:2-3 19 Flint Late Neolithic Natural chunk E3204/A022/019:19:4 19 Flint Late Neolithic Retouched flake E3204/A022/019:19:5-12 19 Flint Late Neolithic Natural chunk E3204/A022/019:19:6 19 Flint Late Neolithic Natural chunk E3204/A022/019:19:7 19 Flint Late Neolithic Natural chunk E3204/A022/019:19:8 19 Flint Late Neolithic Natural chunk E3204/A022/019:19:9 19 Flint Late Neolithic Natural chunk E3204/A022/019:19:10 19 Flint Late Neolithic Natural chunk E3204/A022/019:19:11 19 Flint Late Neolithic Natural chunk E3204/A022/019:19:12 19 Flint Late Neolithic Natural chunk E3204/A022/019:19:13-17 19 Flint Late Neolithic Debitage E3204/A022/019:19:18 19 Flint Late Neolithic Natural chunk E3204/A022/019:19:19 19 Flint Late Neolithic Debitage E3204/A022/019:19:20 19 Flint Late Neolithic Natural chunk E3204/A022/019:19:21 19 Flint Late Neolithic Natural chunk E3204/A022/019:19:22 19 Flint Late Neolithic Chunk E3204/A022/019:19:23-24 19 Flint Late Neolithic Debitage E3204/A022/019:19:25 19 Quartz Debitage E3204/A022/019:19:26 19 Flint Late Neolithic Natural chunk E3204/A022/019:19:27 19 Flint Late Neolithic Debitage E3204/A022/019:19:28 19 Flint Late Neolithic Natural chunk E3204/A022/019:19:29 19 Flint Late Neolithic Debitage E3204/A022/019:19:30 19 Flint Late Neolithic Flake E3204/A022/019:19:31-33 19 Flint Late Neolithic Debitage E3204/A022/019:19:34 19 Quartz Debitage E3204/A022/019:19:35 19 Flint Debitage E3204/A022/019:19:36 19 Quartz Late Neolithic Natural chunk E3204/A022/019:19:37-40 19 Flint Late Neolithic Debitage E3204/A022/019:19:41 19 Flint Natural Chunk E3204/A022/019:19:42 19 Flint Late Neolithic Flake E3204/A022/019:19:43-44 19 Flint Natural Chunk E3204/A022/019:20:1 20 Flint Late Neolithic Natural chunk E3204/A022/019:20:2 20 Flint Late Neolithic Flint blade E3204/A022/019:20:3-4 20 Flint Late Neolithic Flint flake E3204/A022/019:20:5 20 Flint Late Neolithic Debitage E3204/A022/019:20:6 20 Flint Late Neolithic Flint flake E3204/A022/019:20:7 20 Flint Late Neolithic Chunk E3204/A022/019:20:8 20 Flint Late Neolithic Flint flake E3204/A022/019:20:9 20 Flint Late Neolithic Flake E3204/A022/019:20:10-12 20 Flint Late Neolithic Debitage E3204/A022/019:20:13 20 Pottery Beaker Pottery E3204/A022/019:21:1-3 21 Flint Late Neolithic Debitage E3204/A022/019:21:4 21 Flint Late Neolithic Natural chunk E3204/A022/019:21:5 21 Flint Late Neolithic Flake E3204/A022/019:21:6-10 21 Flint Late Neolithic Natural chunk E3204/A022/019:21:11 21 Flint Late Neolithic Debitage E3204/A022/019:21:12 21 Flint Late Neolithic Natural chunk E3204/A022/019:21:13 21 Void Find is a natural stone E3204/A022/019:21:14 21 Flint Late Neolithic Debitage E3204/A022/019:21:15 21 Flint Late Neolithic Flint flake

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Interpretation: Sub-oval pit [C6] was an isolated pit, located at the centre of the site (Figures 4 and 5, Plates 1 and 2). Pit [C6] appeared to have been deliberately backfilled and contained 78 lithic pieces, a sherd of decorated pottery and three pieces of quartz. This pottery was found to be a sherd of Beaker pottery, from the belly of a very fine vessel of smooth buff to pale buff fabric with a dark grey core. It was decorated with 4 scored horizontal lines dividing the belly into three unequal bands (Figure 7). The outer bands were plain while the middle one had closely spaced scored oblique lines crossed, more lightly, by vertical lines. This sherd conformed to Case’s style 2 and dates to c. 2450–2200 BC, placing it in a late Neolithic/early Bronze Age transition date range (Grogan and Roche, Appendix 2.3).

Although there was a concentration of charcoal and patches of heat affected clay, there was no evidence of in situ burning. It is possible that the pit had some form of domestic function, possibly a refuse pit. Analysis of charcoal recovered from fill (C5) identified that the only species present was oak (Quercus spp). With such a small sample of charcoal, it is difficult to draw conclusions about the environment or to attribute a function to the charcoal identified (O’Carroll, Appendix 2.1).

The lithic pieces recovered from pit [C6] comprised one blade (E3204/A022/019:20:2) that was produced using bipolar-on-an-anvil method, but was then rejected presumably due to its cortical dorsal face. Two retouched artefacts, a convex end scraper (E3204/A022/019:5:4, Figure 7) and a possible miscellaneous retouched flake (E3204/A022/019:19:4), were also recovered. The recovered flakes and debitage are waste pieces from scalar technology. Many of the flakes show some degree of cortex on their dorsal surfaces and were discarded as unwanted flake products. One flake (E3204/A022/019:5:10), produced on a nodule of remainieé flint, shows that flint was not only sourced from the nearby beaches but also from glacial till. 26 of the flint pieces recovered were natural chunks. Scalar technology typically dates to the late Neolithic period, but is also known in the early Bronze Age (Sternke, Appendix 2.2).

4.2.2 Subgroup: {1003} Pit Contexts: C Type Fill Filled Depth Length Width Description Interpretation of by (m) (m) (m) 13 Fill C14 0.12 1.6 0.6 Black, compact fine silty clay, with moderate Burnt material, fill charcoal inclusions and moderate angular heat- of shallow pit shattered stone inclusions of various sizes. 14 Cut C13 0.12 1.6 0.6 Sub-oval shaped cut, E-W orientated. The break Shallow pit of slope at the top was gradual, the sides were straight and the break of slope at the base was also gradual. The shape of the base was flat.

Finds: None

Interpretation: Pit [C14] was located at the north-eastern part of the site and was an isolated feature (Figures 4 and 5, Plate 3). This pit contained a single fill, (C13), which contained a moderate amount of heat-affected sandstone. Nothing was recovered from the fill of this feature to indicate a function.

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GROUP II Discussion: Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age Activity Group Subgroup Subgroup Type Period by Finds/Stratigraphy Period by Group Interpretation Interpretation 2 1002 Pit Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age Late Neolithic/Early Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age Bronze Age 2 1003 Pit N/A Late Neolithic/Early Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age Bronze Age

Flint pieces uncovered in pit [C6] were sent for specialist analysis. Based on typological and technological grounds, the assemblage was dated to the late Neolithic/early Bronze Age period (Sternke, Appendix 2.2). A single sherd of decorated pottery was also recovered from pit [C6]. The pottery fragment was found, on specialist analysis, to be an example of fine Beaker pottery dating to the late Neolithic/early Bronze Age (Grogan and Roche, Appendix 2.3). The two pits were the only archaeological features recorded on site, but a further 55 flint pieces of late Neolithic/early Bronze Age date were recovered from topsoil (C1) and stone socket [C12].

Both pits [C14] and [C6] were isolated features. It should be noted however, that the present site (Site A022/019) was located c. 70m south of Site A022/020, where the remains of a Neolithic house and associated pits and postholes were found.

4.3 GROUP III: Post Medieval Activity

4.3.1 Subgroup: {1004} Field Drain Contexts: C Type Fill Filled Depth Length Width Description Interpretation of by (m) (m) (m) 15 Fill C16 - 0.32 10.5 0.8 Brown, tightly compacted silty clay which contained Fill of field small stones of varying size and angularity. drain

16 Cut - C15 0.32 10.5 0.8 Linear shaped cut of ditch with E-W orientation. The Field drain break of slope at the top was gradual, the sides were convex, the break of slope at the base was gradual and the shape of the base was concave.

Finds: None

Interpretation: This feature consisted of a linear northwest-southeast orientated field drain, which was located in the northern part of the site (Figures 4 and 5, Plate 4).

GROUP III Discussion: Group Subgroup Subgroup Type Period by Finds/Stratigraphy Period by Group Interpretation Interpretation 2 1004 Drain Modern Modern Modern agricultural activity

This group represents a linear northwest-southeast orientated field drain which ran across the northern part of the present site. Field drain {1004) contained a single fill and was most likely the result of post medieval or modern agricultural activity.

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4.4 GROUP IV: Topsoil

4.3.1 Subgroup: {1005} Topsoil Contexts: C Area Fill of Filled by Interpretation Description 1 Site - - Topsoil Mid brown sandy clay which contained a moderate amount of sub rounded stone inclusions. 11 C12 - Fill of stone Mid brown sandy clay which contained a moderate amount socket of sub rounded stone inclusions. Very similar to C1. 12 - C11 Stone socket Irregular cut, breaking gradually into uneven base.

Finds: Find # Context # Material Period Description E3204/A022/019:1:1 1 Flint Late Neolithic Core E3204/A022/019:1:2-4 1 Flint Natural Chunk E3204/A022/019:1:5-6 1 Flint Late Neolithic Flake E3204/A022/019:1:7 1 Flint Chunk E3204/A022/019:1:8-12 1 Flint Natural Chunk E3204/A022/019:1:13 1 Flint Late Neolithic Flake E3204/A022/019:1:14 1 Flint Natural Chunk E3204/A022/019:1:15 1 Flint Late Neolithic Debitage E3204/A022/019:1:16-18 1 Flint Natural Chunk E3204/A022/019:1:19 1 Flint Late Neolithic Debitage E3204/A022/019:1:20 1 Flint Natural Chunk E3204/A022/019:1:21-22 1 Flint Late Neolithic Debitage E3204/A022/019:1:23 1 Flint Natural Chunk E3204/A022/019:1:24 1 Flint Chunk E3204/A022/019:1:25 1 Flint Late Neolithic Debitage E3204/A022/019:1:26 1 Flint Late Neolithic Flake E3204/A022/019:1:27-30 1 Flint Late Neolithic Debitage E3204/A022/019:1:31-32 1 Flint Natural Chunk E3204/A022/019:1:33 1 Flint Late Neolithic Debitage E3204/A022/019:1:34 1 Flint Natural Chunk E3204/A022/019:1:35 1 Flint Late Neolithic Flake E3204/A022/019:1:36 1 Flint Late Neolithic Debitage E3204/A022/019:1:37-38 1 Flint Natural Chunk E3204/A022/019:1:39-40 1 Flint Late Neolithic Debitage E3204/A022/019:1:41 1 Flint Natural Chunk E3204/A022/019:1:42 1 Flint Late Neolithic Core E3204/A022/019:1:43 1 Flint Late Neolithic Debitage E3204/A022/019:1:44 1 Flint Chunk E3204/A022/019:1:45 1 Flint Late Neolithic Flake E3204/A022/019:1:46 1 Flint Natural Chunk E3204/A022/019:1:47 1 Flint Late Neolithic Flake E3204/A022/019:1:48-49 1 Flint Late Neolithic Debitage E3204/A022/019:1:50 1 Flint Natural Chunk E3204/A022/019:1:51 1 Flint Late Neolithic Debitage E3204/A022/019:11:1-4 11 Flint Natural Chunk

Interpretation: This subgroup represents a topsoil filled stone socket which yielded four natural chunks of flint (Sternke, Appendix 2.2). It also includes the topsoil layer which sealed all the archaeological features on the site. It had a uniform depth across the site and contained a total of 55 flint artefacts. Two cores were recovered, E3204/A022/019:1:1 and E3204/A022/019:1:42. Both were scalar cores made on split beach pebble flint. The recovered flakes and debitage correspond to this scalar

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd 21 N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement E3204 Final Report Ballymoyle A022/019 technology and represent its waste products. This type of technology was particularly common in the final stages of the Neolithic period, but also occurred in the Bronze Age (Sternke, Appendix 2.2).

GROUP IV Discussion: Topsoil Group Subgroup Subgroup Type Period by Finds/Stratigraphy Period by Group Interpretation Interpretation 4 1005 Topsoil

The topsoil sealed all the archaeological features on the site and was of uniform depth. The topsoil layer was removed by mechanical excavator fitted with a toothless bucket under strict archaeological supervision.

The recovered flakes and debitage recovered at Subgroup {1005} correspond to waste flakes from lithic production involving scalar technology which is typical for the southeast region of Ireland. The scalar technology was particularly common in the final stages of the Neolithic, but also occurred in the Bronze Age (Sternke, Appendix 2.2).

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5 SYNTHESIS AND DISCUSSION

5.1 Physical Setting The geology of the region surrounding Ballymoyle is comparatively low-lying and gently undulating in relation to the generally mountainous terrain of this region. The soils in the area are predominantly poorly draining gleys, formed from glacial muds of marine origin that are prone to winter water logging or flooding and thus, are of limited land-use capability (Gardiner and Radford 1980). The present site in Ballymoyle was situated at the foot of Glenteige Hill. This is found in a locally depressed position on terrain which sloped downwards in an eastern direction to the coast. This site was also situated immediately beside the Redcross River, c. 1.5km west of the Sallymount Sandhills. The subsoil within the site comprised a mid -brown sandy clay, which contained infrequent sub-rounded stone inclusions.

5.2 Summary of the Site Specific Archaeological Landscape The immediate landscape in Ballymoyle contains several sites dating to the Bronze Age. The excavation forms part of a complex of burnt mound sites extending from Johnstown North, 1.3km to the south of the present site. This complex also contains two RMP sites (WI041-004 and WI041-007) and two sites excavated as part of the N11 Arklow By-pass (97E207 and 97E0252: Bennett 1998). Site A022/019 was one of four sites along the scheme that contained Beaker pottery. The others were Coolbeg (Site A022/073), Ballyclogh North (Site A022/046) and Kilmurry South (Site A022/049). Only 43 sherds from six Beaker vessels were found on this scheme. Almost all of these displayed the typical Beaker S-shaped profile and simple horizontally arranged zonal ornamentation. Pottery of this kind can be classified as belonging to Clarke’s European Bell Beaker, or his Wessex/Middle Rhine types (1970) and to Case’s (1995) Style 2 which is considered to date from c. 2450 – 2200 BC. Sherds from one pot at Kilmurry may be a late Beaker of Case’s (1993) Style 3 (Grogan and Roche 2006).

A possible settlement site was excavated at Site A022/020 Ballymoyle which is located c. 40m to the north of the present site. This site was dated to the middle Bronze Age returning two dates (1420 – 1050 BC and 1210 – 930 BC). A number of flint artefacts were recovered from this site that were typologically dated to the late Neolithic. It is possible that these are in fact related to the present site (Site A022/019) which consisted of two pits. One of these pits contained a significant quantity of Beaker pottery which would place the site in the late Neolithic/early Bronze Age.

The analysis of the surrounding archaeological landscape shows a continuity of activity from the Neolithic through to the latter stages of the Bronze Age. Much of this activity is in the form of burnt mounds which is to be expected given the low-lying nature of the natural topography.

5.3 Summary of Excavation Results The archaeological activity on this site in Ballymoyle, Co. Wicklow consisted of two pits. Evidence for Beaker activity dating to the late Neolithic / early Bronze Age transition was discovered in one of the pits. This consisted of one sherd of Beaker pottery and 78 lithic pieces that were dated to the late Neolithic based on technological grounds.

No finds were recovered from the second pit but both pits are believed to be broadly contemporary. The pit containing the finds was interpreted as a refuse pit, while the second pit may have been related to burnt mound activity.

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5.4 Summary of the Specialist Analysis A number of specialists provided analysis of samples and artefacts recovered from the site as part of the post-excavation works. This work in part formed the basis for the dating evidence for the site. The detailed reports on the results of all analysis are available in Appendix 2.

5.4.1 Species Identification of Charcoal Samples It is clear from the results that the local environment of the site included a wooded dry area where oak trees would have grown. It is difficult to attribute a function to the charcoal identified on site but it may be representative of fuel used at the site in conjunction with activities associated with the prehistoric pits.

5.4.2 Radiocarbon Dating No radiocarbon dating has been carried out for the site.

5.4.3 Lithics Analysis The lithic finds are predominantly waste flakes from a lithic production involving a scalar technology which is typical for the south-east region. The assemblage can be dated to the Neolithic period based on technological grounds. It can be assumed with some certainty that this assemblage is linked to the nearby Neolithic occupation and most likely was associated with domestic activities at this site.

This site makes an important contribution to the hitherto scarce evidence for Neolithic settlement along the east Wicklow coast.

5.4.4 Beaker Pottery Analysis The style of Beaker at Ballymoyle has generally been assigned, on the basis of a classic Bell Beaker profile and simple horizontally arranged zonal ornament, to Clarke’s European Bell Beaker, or his Wessex/Middle Rhine types (1970). More recently, following reviews by, for example, Lanting and van der Waals (1972), there has been a greater recognition of the regional development of Beaker. Case’s (1993) simpler threefold scheme and its specific application to the Irish material, provides a straightforward medium for insular comparison (Case 1995). The Ballymoyle material conforms to his style 2 and is dated to c. 2450–2200 BC. The inclusion content is low and consists mainly of crushed quartzite and mica. This is typical of the increasing corpus of Beaker pottery from the Dublin-Wicklow area.

Summary and Discussion of the Beaker Activity at Ballymoyle, Co. Wicklow (Site A022/019) by Neil Carlin for IAC Ltd. An isolated, irregularly shaped pit ([C6]: measuring 3.1m by 1.05m by 0.7m) was filled with five separate deposits, some of which included concentrations of charcoal and patches of burnt clay. A single sherd of Beaker pottery and 85 lithics including ‘broom’ chert, flint and quartz were discovered within this feature.

The lithics consisted of 29 un-worked flint chunks, 32 pieces of debitage, one blade, and 15 flakes. These exhibited evidence for the use of bipolar reduction. Only two modified tools were present – a retouched flake (A022/019:19:4) and a convex end scraper (A022/019:5:4). The pit’s flint assemblage was mainly derived from beach pebbles; a single flake was produced on a nodule from the local glacial till (Appendix 2.2). The exploitation of bipolar reduction methods on small, locally available stone resources became prevalent at the start of the Bronze Age (O’Hare 2005; Woodman et al. 2006, 126–7). Small convex end scrapers (20–30mm), such as that found at Ballymoyle, which have the same breadth and length, and have steep invasive

24 Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement E3204 Final Report Ballymoyle A022/019 pressure flaked retouch on all sides and a flat bulbar end, are chronologically diagnostic of Beaker activity (Lehane 1983, 131; Dillon 1997; Edmunds 1995, 141; also see Woodman et al. 2006, 160–1). These are a common feature of many Irish Beaker sites (Carlin 2005a; 2005b) and have been found in significant numbers on sites such as Newgrange, Knowth, Co. Meath; Ballynagilly, Co. Tyrone (Lehane, 1983; Eogan and Roche, 1997; Apsimon, 1976, 22–7), Lough Gur, Co. Limerick (Grogan and Eogan, 1987), and Roughan Hill, Co. Clare (Jones 1998). These scrapers were the dominant tool-type in the Beaker period; usually forming 50–90% of the stone tool assemblage of this horizon (see Carlin 2005a).

The Beaker sherd from Ballymoyle is derived from a ‘fine’ vessel (Appendix 2.3), that displays the sinuous profile and simple horizontally arranged zonal ornamentation typical of Bell Beakers. Pottery of this kind can be classified as belonging to Clarke’s European Bell Beaker, or his Wessex/Middle Rhine types (1970) and to Case’s (1995) Style 2 which is considered to date from the early Bronze Age, c. 2450–2200 BC. Beakers emerged in Ireland c. 2500BC and their use appears to have ceased c. 1900 BC (Brindley 2005, 334; 2007, 321). Given that this pottery is not of a late Beaker style, it seems likely that the pit dates from the early Bronze Age, c. 2400– 2200 BC.

The discovery of a single pit containing Beaker-associated material is entirely consistent with the manifestation of this tradition in Ireland (Carlin, 2005a; 2005b, 2007). However, the depth of this pit is incomparable for this period. Like many Beaker-associated pits, it appears to contain material that was derived from another context such as a midden. This is indicated by the occurrence of charcoal and burnt clay within the pit despite the absence of any evidence for in situ burning. The condition of the lithics within the pit were highly variable, some were fresh while others were patinated or burnt, thereby suggesting that they were in different contexts prior to their final deposition.

Beaker pit deposits are being excavated with an ever-increasing frequency and are distinctive by virtue of the fact that they usually contain large amounts of cultural material. Examples of such pit deposits include Doonmoon, Co. Limerick (Gowen, 1988, 52–61); Kilgobbin, Co. Dublin (Ines Hagen forthcoming ); Cloghers, Co. Kerry (Kiely, 2005); Site 12, Rathmullan, Co. Meath, which also produced the feet of a polypod bowl (Bolger, 2003, 327); Barnagore 2, Co. Cork (Danaher, 2003); Hill of Rath, Co. Louth (Duffy, 2002); Corbally, Co. Kildare (Purcell, 2002), and Rathdown, Co. Wicklow (Eogan and O’Brien, 2005). These pits are often regarded as simple rubbish pits because of the high levels of domestic debris found within them; however, the presence of items such as polypod bowls, stone wristguards and polished stone axes suggest that a more complex interpretation may be necessary.

There was a complete absence of evidence for any substantial amount of energy and time being invested at this location. There was a very restricted range of tools, a low number of modified tools as a percentage of the total chipped stone assemblage and no evidence of cereal cultivation in the form of carbonised cereal grains and quernstones as well as only one sherd of pottery. This scenario may result from poor preservation of the original remains, but evidence for excessive disturbance or truncation was not noted. Longer term settlements are a common occurrence on many Irish Beaker sites (Carlin, 2005b) and the lack of evidence for this at Ballymoyle raises questions about the duration and nature of the activity here. This site may represent the location of a short term camp or peripheral task-specific activities but it may also be interpreted as the remains of a symbolic event.

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Traditionally, there was a functionalist interpretation of pit-digging whereby they were seen as storage or refuse pits, but more recently this activity has been seen as the deposition of objects as part of an act that possesses ideological significance and provided a means of inscribing meaning and memories across a landscape (Thomas 1996, 197). These actions may represent the closing or the commemoration of the end of an occupation (e.g. Thomas 1999; Pollard 1999), or may be connected with beliefs about fertility, renewal, regeneration (Case 1969; 1973; Pollard 2000; Cooney 2005), and transformation (Brück 1995). It is recognised that artefacts have lifecycles and biographies like those of humans and that this can often involve the meaningful fragmentation, curation, and burial of objects – the material derived from middens may have been seen as heirlooms or relics of certain people or events such as a feast or other special occasion (Woodward 2002, 1040–1).

Unfortunately, the scarcity of archaeological remains at Ballymoyle and their ephemeral nature prevents a fuller understanding of the activity that occurred there. Though the Beaker evidence from this site is not particularly informative, it is an important new addition to the ever-increasing distribution of Beaker sites in this region. This is discussed further in the document which integrates the evidence for Beaker activity from all the sites discovered on the route of the N11 Arklow to Rathnew Road Improvement and places them into their local, regional and historical context.

5.5 Discussion The analysis of the surrounding archaeological landscape shows a continuity of activity from the Neolithic through to the latter stages of the Bronze Age. Much of this activity is in the form of burnt mounds which is to be expected given the low-lying nature of the natural topography. Further continuity of settlement is evidenced by a number of early medieval sites in the locality, enclosure WI041-004 and ecclesiastical remains WI041-002-001-005. Further evidence was also present from nearby excavated site, Site A022/016, where a pit was dated to AD 380 – 580.

It is interpreted that the activity recorded on this site (Site A022/019) dates to the late Neolithic/early Bronze Age. This is based on typological dates returned from the flint and pottery finds retrieved on site. This site was also located c. 70m south of Site A022/020, where the remains of a Neolithic house and associated pits and postholes were found. The activity at this site (Site A022/019) comprised of two pits that are possibly related to burnt mound activity. Isolated pits containing later Neolithic/early Bronze Age pottery, including Beaker pottery, are not uncommon in the wider landscape and are often found without any obvious contemporary settlement activity in the immediate vicinity. Burnt mound activity in the area would not be unexpected given the marginal nature of the landscape, and the number of burnt mound sites identified in close proximity. The presence of the Beaker pottery from one feature indicates that there was some small scale localised activity from this period in the vicinity of the site. This is an interesting addition to the previously scarce evidence for Beaker related activity in the region.

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36 Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd

GROUP IV: TOPSOIL C 01

C 11

C 12

C 15 GROUP III: POST MEDIVAL C 16 FEATURES

C 18 C 13

GROUP II: C 05 ARCHAEOLOGICAL FEATURES C 19

C 20

C 21

C 06 C 14

GROUP I: NATURAL GEOLOGY C02

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Plate 1 Mid-excavation view of pit [C6], facing northwest

Plate 2 Post-excavation view of pit [C6], facing east

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Plates N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement E3204 Final Report Ballymoyle A022/019

Plate 3 Post-excavation view of possible pit [C14], facing north

Plate 4 Mid-excavation view of field drain [C16], facing southwest

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Plates N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement E3204 Final Report Ballymoyle A022/019

APPENDIX 1: CATALOGUE OF PRIMARY DATA

Appendix 1.1 Context Register

Context Type Fill of Filled by Definition Group Subgroup Subgroup Summary Depth (m) Length (m) Width (m) 1 Deposit - - Topsoil 4 1005 Topsoil - - - 2 Deposit - - Natural 1 1001 Natural subsoil - - - 3 Void 4 Void 5 Fill C6 Fill of pit 2 1002 Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age 1 0.90 - Transition 6 Cut C5, C18, Pit 2 1002 Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age 0.70 3.1 1.05 C19, C20, Transition C21 7 Void 8 Void 9 Void 10 Void 11 Fill C12 Fill of stone socket 4 1005 Topsoil - - - 12 Cut C11 Cut of stone socket 4 1005 Topsoil - - - 13 Fill C14 Charcoal spread filling a 2 1003 Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age 0.12 1.6 0.6 possible pit Transition 14 Cut C13 possible pit 2 1003 Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age 0.12 1.6 0.6 Transition 15 Fill C15 Fill of field drain 3 1004 Post Medieval Activity 0.32 10.5 0.8

16 Cut C15 Field drain 3 1004 Post Medieval Activity 0.32 10.5 0.8

17 Void 18 Redeposit C6 Uppermost fill of C6 pit 2 1002 Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age 0.08 0.28 - Transition 19 Redeposit C6 Tertiary fill of C6 pit 2 1002 Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age 0.40 1.95 - Transition

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20 Fill C6 Secondary fill of C6 pit 2 1002 Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age 0.30 1.19 - Transition 21 Fill C6 Primary fill of C6 pit 2 1002 Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age 0.21 1.42 - Transition

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Appendix 1.1 N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement E3204 Final Report Ballymoyle A022/019

Appendix 1.2 Artefact Catalogue

Find No. Context Material Description Appendix ref.

E3204/A022/019:1:1 1 Flint Core Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:2-4 1 Flint Natural Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:5-6 1 Flint Flake Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:7 1 Flint Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:8-12 1 Flint Natural Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:13 1 Flint Flake Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:14 1 Flint Natural Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:15 1 Flint Debitage Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:16-18 1 Flint Natural Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:19 1 Flint Debitage Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:20 1 Flint Natural Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:21-22 1 Flint Debitage Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:23 1 Flint Natural Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:24 1 Flint Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:25 1 Flint Debitage Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:26 1 Flint Flake Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:27-30 1 Flint Debitage Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:31-32 1 Flint Natural Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:33 1 Flint Debitage Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:34 1 Flint Natural Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:35 1 Flint Flake Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:36 1 Flint Debitage Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:37-38 1 Flint Natural Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:39-40 1 Flint Debitage Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:41 1 Flint Natural Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:42 1 Flint Core Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:43 1 Flint Debitage Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:44 1 Flint Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:45 1 Flint Flake Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:46 1 Flint Natural Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:47 1 Flint Flake Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:48-49 1 Flint Debitage Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:50 1 Flint Natural Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:1:51 1 Flint Debitage Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:5:1-2 5 Flint Flake Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:5:3 5 Flint Debitage Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:5:4 5 Flint Scraper Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:5:5-8 5 Flint Natural Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:5:9-10 5 Flint Flake Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:5:11-12 5 Flint Debitage Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:11:1-4 11 Flint Natural Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:19:1 19 Flint Flake Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:19:2-3 19 Flint Natural Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:19:4 19 Flint Retouched Flake Appendix 2.2

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E3204/A022/019:19:5-12 19 Flint Natural Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:19:13-17 19 Flint Debitage Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:19:18 19 Flint Natural Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:19:19 19 Flint Debitage Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:19:20 19 Flint Natural chunk Appendix 2.2

E3204/A022/019:19:21 19 Flint Natural Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:19:22 19 Flint Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:19:23-25 19 Flint Debitage Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:19:26 19 Flint Natural Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:19:27 19 Flint Debitage Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:19:28 19 Flint Natural Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:19:29 19 Flint Debitage Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:19:30 19 Flint Flake Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:19:31-33 19 Flint Debitage Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:19:34 19 Quartz Debitage Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:19:35 19 Flint Debitage Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:19:36 19 Quartz Natural Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:19:37-40 19 Flint Debitage Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:19:41 19 Flint Natural Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:19:42 19 Flint Flake Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:19:43-44 19 Flint Natural Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:20:1 20 Flint Natural Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:20:2 20 Flint Blade Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:20:3-4 20 Flint Flake Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:20:5 20 Flint Debitage Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:20:6 20 Flint Flake Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:20:7 20 Flint Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:20:8 20 Broom chert Flake Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:20:9 20 Flint Flake Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:20:10-12 20 Flint Debitage Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:20:13 20 Pottery Pottery Appendix 2.3

E3204/A022/019:21:1-3 21 Flint Debitage Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:21:4 21 Flint Natural Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:21:5 21 Flint Flake Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:21:6-10 21 Flint Natural Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:21:11 21 Flint Debitage Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:21:12 21 Flint Natural Chunk Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:21:13 Void Natural stone Void E3204/A022/019:21:14 21 Flint Debitage Appendix 2.2 E3204/A022/019:21:15 21 Flint Flake Appendix 2.2

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Appendix 1.2 N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement E3204 Final Report Ballymoyle A022/019

Appendix 1.3 Archive Index Project: N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Site Name: Ballymoyle Ministerial Number: A022/019 Site director: Yvonne Whitty Date: May 2009

Field Records Items (quantity) Comments Site drawings (plans) 9 Digitised Site sections, profiles, elevations 5 5 sections total Other plans, sketches, etc. 1 Timber drawings 0 Stone structural drawings 0

Site diary/note books 1 Site registers (folders) 6

Survey/levels data (origin information) On plans Digital copy also

Context sheets 21 Wood Sheets 0 Skeleton Sheets 0 Worked stone sheets 0 Digital photographs 20 Photographs (print) 0 Photographs (slide) 0 Finds and Environ. Archive Flint/chert 133 Numbered and logged Stone artefacts 3 Quartz debitage and chunk Pottery (specify periods/typology) 1 Numbered and logged Ceramic Building Material (specify types e.g. daub, 0 tile) Metal artefacts (specify types - bronze, iron) 0 Glass 0 Other find types or special finds (specify) 0 Human bone (specify type e.g. cremated, skeleton, 0 disarticulated) Animal bone 0 Metallurgical waste 0 Enviro bulk soil (specify no. of samples) 3 Enviro monolith (specify number of samples and 0 number of tins per sample) Security copy of archive Yes Digitised

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Appendix 1.3 N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement E3204 Final Report Ballymoyle A022/019

APPENDIX 2: SPECIALIST REPORTS

Appendix 2.1 Charcoal and Wood ID Report – Ellen O’ Carroll

Appendix 2.2 Lithics Report – Dr Farina Sternke

Appendix 2.3 Prehistoric Pottery Report – Dr Eoin Grogan and Helen Roche

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Appendix 2 N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Ballymoyle A022/019 E3204 Final Report

Appendix 2.1 Charcoal and Wood ID Report – Ellen O’ Carroll

1. INTRODUCTION One charcoal sample was submitted for analysis. The charcoal was sent for species identification prior to 14C dating and also to give an indication of the range of tree species, which grew in the area at the time of use of the site. Charcoal analyses may provide information on the utilization of certain species for various functions. Wood used for fuel at prehistoric sites would generally have been collected at locations close to the site. Therefore charcoal identifications may, but do not necessarily, reflect the composition of the local woodlands. Larger pieces of charcoal, when identified, can provide information regarding the use of a species for certain structural requirements or particular functions. Ballymoyle Site A022/019 consisted of two pits that are possibly related to burnt mound activity. One of the pits was filled with prehistoric flint and some decorated pottery. The excavator suggests that this pit may be a refuse pit. There are no dates for this site although its association with Site A022/020 and the findings of the prehistoric pottery and the flints point to a Neolithic date.

2. METHODS The process for identifying wood, whether it is charred, dried or waterlogged is carried out by comparing the anatomical structure of wood samples with known comparative material or keys (Schweingruber 1990). The identification of charcoal material involves breaking the charcoal piece along its three sections (transverse, tangential and radial) so clean sections of the wood pieces can be obtained. This charcoal is then identified to species under an Nikon SMZ800 zoom stereomicroscope at magnifications x 10 -190. By close examination of the microanatomical features of the samples the species were determined. The diagnostic features used for the identification of charcoal are micro-structural characteristics such as the vessels and their arrangement, the size and arrangement of rays, vessel pit arrangement and also the type of perforation plates. The charcoal samples were identified by weight whereby each species was grouped together and a total weight was obtained.

3. RESULTS Context No. Context Type & Sample No. Species Weight & Date Comment 5 Fill of pit, 11 Quercus spp 29.5g possibly prehistoric Table 1: Results from charcoal identifications

Botanical Name Species Weight Quercus sp Oak 29.5g Table 2: Results from charcoal identifications

4. DISCUSSION Oak (Quercus sp) was the only species identified from the charcoal remains. As the function of the pit remains enigmatic it is difficult to attribute a structural or functional purpose to the charcoal.

Oak is a dense wood and is very suitable for charcoal production. It also makes good firewood when dried and will grow in wetland areas when conditions are dry. Oak also has unique properties of great durability and strength. Sessile oak (Quercus petraea) and pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) are both native to and common in

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Ireland. The wood of these species cannot be differentiated based on its microstructure. Pendunculate oak is found on heavy clays and loams particularly where the soil is of alkaline pH. Sessile oak is found on acid soils often in pure stands and although it thrives on well-drained soils it is also tolerant of flooding (Beckett 1979, 40-41). Both species of oak grow to be very large trees (30-40m) and can live to an age of about 400 years.

The oak identified suggests that there was a supply of oak in the surrounding environment.

5. COMPARATIVE MATERIAL As the pit remains un-diagnostic and the function of it is unknown it is difficult to make comparisons with other excavated sites. Pits which produce mainly oak charcoal may be classified as charcoal production pits or cremation pits and pits which produce ash and hazel charcoal suggest that the pit may have been surrounded by a wattle structure. The oak from this pit may simply have been fuel selected from nearby to the sites and the charcoal is representative of the type of trees growing in the area in the prehistoric period in Ballymoyle townland, Co. Wicklow.

6. SUMMARY & CONCLUSIONS It is clear from the results that the local environment of the site includes a wooded dry area where oak trees would have grown. It is difficult to attribute a function to the charcoal identified on site but it may be representative of fuel used at the site in conjunction with activities associated with the prehistoric pit.

7. REFERENCES Beckett, J.K., 1979, Planting Native Trees and Shrubs. Jarrold & Sons Ltd, Norwich.

Irish Archaeological Wetland Unit, 1993, Excavations at Clonfinlough, County Offaly. Transactions 2. Dublin

Nelson E.C., 1993 Trees of Ireland. The Lilliput Press, Dublin.

OCarroll, E. 2004. The analysis of charcoal remains from Kilgobbin, Co. Dublin. Unpublished specialist report for Margaret Gowen and Company

OCarroll, E. 2004. The analysis of charcoal remains from Beaverstown, Co. Dublin. Unpublished specialist report for Margaret Gowen and Company

OCarroll, E. 2005. The analysis of charcoal remains from Monanny 1, Co. Monaghan. Unpublished specialist report for IAC Ltd.

Pilcher , J & Hall, V. 2001. Flora Hibernica, The Collins press, Wilton, Cork

Schweingruber, F.H. 1990. Microscopic Wood Anatomy. 3rd edition. Birmensdorf: Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research

Warner, R.B., 1987, "A proposed adjustment for the « Old-Wood Effect »", in Mook, W. & Waterbolk, H. (Eds.) Proc. 2nd Symp of 14C & Archaeology, Groningen 1987, 29, 159-172.

Webb, D.A., 1977, An Irish Flora. Dundalgan Press Ltd, Dundalk.

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Appendix 2.2 Lithics Report – Dr Farina Sternke

Introduction

One hundred and thirty six lithic finds from the archaeological investigations of a Neolithic site along the route of the N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement at Ballymoyle, were presented for analysis (Figure 1 and Table 1). The finds are associated with the remains of two Neolithic pits. These pits were located c. 70m south of Site A022/020 which comprised the remains of a Neolithic house with associated pits and postholes.

Find Number Find Context Material Type Cortex Condition (mm)Length (mm)Width (mm) Thickn. Complete Retouch A022/019:1:1 1 Flint Core Yes Patinated 47 49 22 Yes No A022/019:1:2 1 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:1:3 1 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:1:4 1 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:1:5 1 Flint Flake Yes Patinated 21 23 8 Yes No A022/019:1:6 1 Flint Flake Yes Patinated 24 18 6 Yes No A022/019:1:7 1 Flint Chunk Yes Reasonably Fresh 33 19 17 Yes No A022/019:1:8 1 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:1:9 1 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:1:10 1 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:1:11 1 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:1:12 1 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:1:13 1 Flint Flake Yes Slightly Patinated 19 39 13 Yes No A022/019:1:14 1 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:1:15 1 Flint Debitage A022/019:1:16 1 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:1:17 1 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:1:18 1 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:1:19 1 Flint Debitage A022/019:1:20 1 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:1:21 1 Flint Debitage A022/019:1:22 1 Flint Debitage A022/019:1:23 1 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:1:24 1 Flint Chunk Yes Patinated 22 15 9 Yes No A022/019:1:25 1 Flint Debitage A022/019:1:26 1 Flint Flake No Reasonably Fresh 17 21 3 No No A022/019:1:27 1 Flint Debitage A022/019:1:28 1 Flint Debitage A022/019:1:29 1 Flint Debitage A022/019:1:30 1 Flint Debitage A022/019:1:31 1 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:1:32 1 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:1:33 1 Flint Debitage A022/019:1:34 1 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:1:35 1 Flint Flake No Reasonably Fresh 23 15 5 Yes No A022/019:1:36 1 Flint Debitage A022/019:1:37 1 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:1:38 1 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:1:39 1 Flint Debitage

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Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Appendix 2.2 N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Ballymoyle A022/019 E3204 Final Report

Find NumberFind Context Material Type Cortex Condition (mm)Length (mm) Width Thickn. (mm) Complete Retouch A022/019:1:40 1 Flint Debitage A022/019:1:41 1 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:1:42 1 Flint Core Yes Reasonably Fresh 39 44 20 Yes No A022/019:1:43 1 Flint Debitage A022/019:1:44 1 Flint Chunk No Slightly Patinated 25 16 9 Yes No A022/019:1:45 1 Flint Flake Yes Slightly Patinated 22 22 6 No No A022/019:1:46 1 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:1:47 1 Flint Flake No Reasonably Fresh 25 17 4 Yes No A022/019:1:48 1 Flint Debitage A022/019:1:49 1 Flint Debitage A022/019:1:50 1 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:1:51 1 Flint Debitage A022/019:5:1 5 Flint Flake No Reasonably Fresh 20 27 4 No No A022/019:5:2 5 Flint Flake No Patinated 24 26 8 No No A022/019:5:3 5 Flint Debitage A022/019:5:4 5 Flint Scraper Yes Slightly Patinated 29 33 13 Yes distal and left edge direct abrupt A022/019:5:5 5 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:5:6 5 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:5:7 5 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:5:8 5 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:5:9 5 Flint Flake Yes Burnt 39 27 9 No No A022/019:5:10 5 Flint Flake Yes Patinated 36 18 7 No No A022/019:5:11 5 Flint Debitage A022/019:5:12 5 Flint Debitage A022/019:11:1 11 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:11:2 11 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:11:3 11 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:11:4 11 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:19:1 19 Flint Flake Yes Slightly Patinated 23 21 9 Yes No A022/019:19:2 19 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:19:3 19 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:19:4 19 Flint Retouched Flake Yes Rolled 28 20 9 Yes distal and left edge direct abrupt A022/019:19:5 19 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:19:6 19 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:19:7 19 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:19:8 19 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:19:9 19 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:19:10 19 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:19:11 19 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:19:12 19 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:19:13 19 Flint Debitage A022/019:19:14 19 Flint Debitage A022/019:19:15 19 Flint Debitage A022/019:19:16 19 Flint Debitage A022/019:19:17 19 Flint Debitage A022/019:19:18 19 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:19:19 19 Flint Debitage A022/019:19:20 19 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:19:21 19 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:19:22 19 Flint Chunk Yes Rolled 30 20 17 Yes No A022/019:19:23 19 Flint Debitage A022/019:19:24 19 Flint Debitage

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Find NumberFind Context Material Type Cortex Condition (mm) Length (mm) Width Thickn. (mm) Complete Retouch A022/019:19:25 19 Quartz Debitage A022/019:19:26 19 Flint Natural Chunk Yes A022/019:19:27 19 Flint Debitage A022/019:19:28 19 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:19:29 19 Flint Debitage A022/019:19:30 19 Flint Flake Yes Slightly Patinated 20 26 10 Yes No A022/019:19:31 19 Flint Debitage A022/019:19:32 19 Flint Debitage A022/019:19:33 19 Flint Debitage A022/019:19:34 19 Quartz Debitage A022/019:19:35 19 Flint Debitage A022/019:19:36 19 Quartz Natural Chunk A022/019:19:37 19 Flint Debitage A022/019:19:38 19 Flint Debitage A022/019:19:39 19 Flint Debitage A022/019:19:40 19 Flint Debitage A022/019:19:41 19 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:19:42 19 Flint Flake Yes Reasonably Fresh 39 30 17 Yes No A022/019:19:43 19 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:19:44 19 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:20:1 20 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:20:2 20 Flint Blade Yes Reasonably Fresh 39 7 5 Yes No A022/019:20:3 20 Flint Flake Yes Slightly Patinated 26 23 7 Yes No A022/019:20:4 20 Flint Flake Yes Rolled 36 23 5 Yes No A022/019:20:5 20 Flint Debitage A022/019:20:6 20 Flint Flake Yes Reasonably Fresh 24 28 7 Yes No A022/019:20:7 20 Flint Chunk Yes Patinated 22 16 8 Yes No A022/019:20:8 20 Broom Chert Flake Yes Rolled 24 19 8 No No A022/019:20:9 20 Flint Flake Yes Patinated 17 22 5 Yes No A022/019:20:10 20 Flint Debitage A022/019:20:11 20 Flint Debitage A022/019:20:12 20 Flint Debitage A022/019:21:1 21 Flint Debitage A022/019:21:2 21 Flint Debitage A022/019:21:3a 21 Flint Debitage A022/019:21:3b 21 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:21:5 21 Flint Flake Yes Patinated 19 24 12 Yes No A022/019:21:6 21 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:21:7 21 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:21:8 21 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:21:9 21 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:21:10 21 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:21:11 21 Flint Debitage A022/019:21:12 21 Flint Natural Chunk A022/019:21:14 21 Flint Debitage A022/019:21:15 21 Flint Flake No Patinated 25 17 7 Yes No Table 1 Composition of the lithic assemblage from Ballymoyle (A022/019)

Methodology All lithic artefacts were examined visually and catalogued using Microsoft Excel. The following details were recorded for each artefact which measured at least 2 cm in length or width: context information, raw material type, artefact type, the presence of cortex, artefact condition, length, with and thickness measurements, fragmentation and the type of retouch (where applicable). The technological criteria recorded are based on the terminology and technology presented in Inizan et al. 1999. The general typological and morphological classifications are based on Woodman et al. 2006. Struck lithics smaller than 2 cm were classed as debitage and not analysed further. The same was done with natural chunks.

Quantification

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Appendix 2.2 N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Ballymoyle A022/019 E3204 Final Report

The lithics are 132 flints, three quartz artefacts and one artefact made on so-called Broom chert (Table 1) which originates from the Eastern shore of the Irish Sea and is commonly associated with Welsh lithic assemblages. Nodules of this material were occasionally moved across the Irish Sea by wave action and were picked up as beach rolled pebbles on the Wicklow Coast. This material is of flint-like quality and was used in the same way.

The assemblage contains 57 natural chunks. Thirty-one artefacts are struck and larger than 2 cm in length and width and were therefore recorded in detail.

Provenance The lithics were recovered from the topsoil and the fill of a pit (Table 2).

Find No. Context Description Type A022/019:1:1 1 Topsoil. Core A022/019:1:2 1 Topsoil. Natural Chunk A022/019:1:3 1 Topsoil. Natural Chunk A022/019:1:4 1 Topsoil. Natural Chunk A022/019:1:5 1 Topsoil. Flake A022/019:1:6 1 Topsoil. Flake A022/019:1:7 1 Topsoil. Chunk A022/019:1:8 1 Topsoil. Natural Chunk A022/019:1:9 1 Topsoil. Natural Chunk A022/019:1:10 1 Topsoil. Natural Chunk A022/019:1:11 1 Topsoil. Natural Chunk A022/019:1:12 1 Topsoil. Natural Chunk A022/019:1:13 1 Topsoil. Flake A022/019:1:14 1 Topsoil. Natural Chunk A022/019:1:15 1 Topsoil. Debitage A022/019:1:16 1 Topsoil. Natural Chunk A022/019:1:17 1 Topsoil. Natural Chunk A022/019:1:18 1 Topsoil. Natural Chunk A022/019:1:19 1 Topsoil. Debitage A022/019:1:20 1 Topsoil. Natural Chunk A022/019:1:21 1 Topsoil. Debitage A022/019:1:22 1 Topsoil. Debitage A022/019:1:23 1 Topsoil. Natural Chunk A022/019:1:24 1 Topsoil. Chunk A022/019:1:25 1 Topsoil. Debitage A022/019:1:26 1 Topsoil. Flake A022/019:1:27 1 Topsoil. Debitage A022/019:1:28 1 Topsoil. Debitage A022/019:1:29 1 Topsoil. Debitage A022/019:1:30 1 Topsoil. Debitage A022/019:1:31 1 Topsoil. Natural Chunk A022/019:1:32 1 Topsoil. Natural Chunk A022/019:1:33 1 Topsoil. Debitage A022/019:1:34 1 Topsoil. Natural Chunk A022/019:1:35 1 Topsoil. Flake A022/019:1:36 1 Topsoil. Debitage A022/019:1:37 1 Topsoil. Natural Chunk A022/019:1:38 1 Topsoil. Natural Chunk A022/019:1:39 1 Topsoil. Debitage A022/019:1:40 1 Topsoil. Debitage A022/019:1:41 1 Topsoil. Natural Chunk A022/019:1:42 1 Topsoil. Core A022/019:1:43 1 Topsoil. Debitage A022/019:1:44 1 Topsoil. Chunk A022/019:1:45 1 Topsoil. Flake A022/019:1:46 1 Topsoil. Natural Chunk A022/019:1:47 1 Topsoil. Flake A022/019:1:48 1 Topsoil. Debitage A022/019:1:49 1 Topsoil. Debitage A022/019:1:50 1 Topsoil. Natural Chunk A022/019:1:51 1 Topsoil. Debitage A022/019:5:1 5 Fill of Pit Flake A022/019:5:2 5 Fill of Pit Flake

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A022/019:5:3 5 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:5:4 5 Fill of Pit Scraper A022/019:5:5 5 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:5:6 5 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:5:7 5 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:5:8 5 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:5:9 5 Fill of Pit Flake A022/019:5:10 5 Fill of Pit Flake A022/019:5:11 5 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:5:12 5 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:11:1 11 Topsoil Natural Chunk A022/019:11:2 11 Topsoil Natural Chunk A022/019:11:3 11 Topsoil Natural Chunk A022/019:11:4 11 Topsoil Natural Chunk A022/019:19:1 19 Fill of Pit Flake A022/019:19:2 19 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:19:3 19 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:19:4 19 Fill of Pit Retouched Flake A022/019:19:5 19 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:19:6 19 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:19:7 19 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:19:8 19 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:19:9 19 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:19:10 19 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:19:11 19 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:19:12 19 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:19:13 19 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:19:14 19 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:19:15 19 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:19:16 19 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:19:17 19 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:19:18 19 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:19:19 19 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:19:20 19 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:19:21 19 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:19:22 19 Fill of Pit Chunk A022/019:19:23 19 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:19:24 19 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:19:25 19 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:19:26 19 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:19:27 19 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:19:28 19 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:19:29 19 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:19:30 19 Fill of Pit Flake A022/019:19:31 19 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:19:32 19 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:19:33 19 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:19:34 19 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:19:35 19 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:19:36 19 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:19:37 19 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:19:38 19 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:19:39 19 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:19:40 19 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:19:41 19 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:19:42 19 Fill of Pit Flake A022/019:19:43 19 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:19:44 19 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:20:1 20 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:20:2 20 Fill of Pit Blade A022/019:20:3 20 Fill of Pit Flake A022/019:20:4 20 Fill of Pit Flake A022/019:20:5 20 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:20:6 20 Fill of Pit Flake A022/019:20:7 20 Fill of Pit Chunk A022/019:20:8 20 Fill of Pit Flake A022/019:20:9 20 Fill of Pit Flake A022/019:20:10 20 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:20:11 20 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:20:12 20 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:21:1 21 Fill of Pit Debitage

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A022/019:21:2 21 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:21:3 21 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:21:4 21 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:21:5 21 Fill of Pit Flake A022/019:21:6 21 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:21:7 21 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:21:8 21 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:21:9 21 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:21:10 21 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:21:11 21 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:21:12 21 Fill of Pit Natural Chunk A022/019:21:14 21 Fill of Pit Debitage A022/019:21:15 21 Fill of Pit Flake Table 2 Context Information for the Assemblage from Ballymoyle (A022/019)

Condition: The lithics survive in variable condition (Table 3). Thirty-one artefacts are struck and larger than 2 cm in length and width. Seven of these are incomplete.

Condition Amount Reasonably Fresh 9 Slightly Patinated 7 Patinated 10 Waterrolled 4 Burnt 1 Total 31

Table 3 Assemblage Condition from Ballymoyle (A022/019)

Technology/Morphology: The assemblage comprises various types of flaking products and natural chunks (Table 4).

Type Amount Flake 21 Blade 1 Debitage 49 Core 2 Retouched Artefact 2 Chunk 5 Natural Chunk 57 Total 136 Table 4 Assemblage Composition from Ballymoyle (A022/019)

The two cores (A022/019:1:1 and A022/019:1:42) are scalar cores made on split beach pebble flint.

The recovered flakes and debitage correspond to this type of technology and represent its waste products. About 60 percent of the flakes show some degree of cortex on their dorsal surfaces and were discarded as unwanted flake products. These flakes are rarely exceeding 35mm in length (Figure 1).

One flake (A022/019:5:10) was produced on a nodule of remanieé flint which shows that flint was not only sourced from the nearby beaches along the Wicklow coastline, but also from glacial till.

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60

50

40

30 Width

20

10

0 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 Length

Blade Chunk Core Retouched Flake Scraper Flake

Figure 1 Dimension (mm) of the Assemblage Components from Ballymoyle (A022/019)

The only blade (A022/019:20:2) was produced using a bipolar-on-an-anvil method, but was then rejected presumably due to its cortical dorsal face. Generally, it can be presumed that blades were not necessarily the only desired end products as the use of a scalar technology implies a flake production.

Retouched Artefacts: The two retouched artefacts are a convex end scraper (A022/019:5:4) and one possible miscellaneous retouched flake (A022/019:19:4).

Dating: The use of a scalar technology is particularly common in the final stages of the Neolithic period, particularly in the S half of the island of Ireland (O’Hare 2005; Woodman pers. comm.), but also occurs in the Bronze Age (O’Hare 2005). The general absence of evidence for the use of a bipolar technology as found during the Bronze Age has to be noted. The convex end scraper is un-diagnostic, but likewise commonly occurs in Neolithic and Bronze Age assemblages (Woodman et al. 2006).

However, the proximity of the site to a Neolithic house raises the possibility of an association with this assemblage which shows predominantly Neolithic traits.

Conservation Lithics do not require specific conservation, but should be stored in a dry, stable environment. Preferably, each lithic should be bagged separately and contact with other lithics should be avoided, so as to prevent damage and breakage, in particular edge damage which could later be misinterpreted as retouch. Larger and heavier

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Appendix 2.2 N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Ballymoyle A022/019 E3204 Final Report items are best kept in individual boxes to avoid crushing of smaller assemblage pieces.

Comparative Material Apart from an arrowhead from Rathdown, a hollow based arrowhead from Sugar Loaf Mountain (Delaney 2000) and a collection of scrapers from Rathmeague (Delaney 2000), very little Neolithic evidence has hitherto been found in the eastern Wicklow.

Discussion Flint is available in larger and smaller nodules on the S Wicklow coast (Delaney 2000). The use of a scalar technology is a direct result of this availability. The majority of these flint nodules are rather small pebbles with an average dimension of 7cm and often only permit the use of a scalar or bipolar technology to efficiently reduce the nodule achieving a maximum outcome, i.e. the largest possible amount of suitable and usable blanks. The result is the regionally dominant scalar and split pebble bipolar, rather idiosyncratic character of the S-E lithic assemblages (O’Hare 2005, 123).

The lithic finds from the archaeological investigations at Ballymoyle along the route of the N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement are predominantly waste flakes from a lithic production involving a scalar technology which is typical for the S-E region. The assemblage can be dated to the Neolithic period based on technological grounds. It can be assumed with some certainty that this assemblage is linked to the nearby Neolithic occupation and most likely was associated with domestic activities at this site.

This site makes an important contribution to the hitherto scarce evidence for Neolithic settlement along the E Wicklow coast.

Recommendations for Illustration

• Convex end scraper (A022/019:5:4)

Bibliography Delaney, S. 2000. An Investigation into the Availability of Flint as a Raw Material along the South-East Coast of Ireland and an Examination of a Collection of Flint Artefacts from the same Area. Unpublished MA Thesis, NUI University College Cork.

Inizan, M.-L., M. Reduron-Ballinger, H. Roche and J. Tixier 1999. Technology and Terminology of Knapped Stone 5. CREP, Nanterre.

O'Hare, M. B., 2005. The Bronze Age Lithics of Ireland. Unpublished PhD Thesis. Queen's University of Belfast.

Woodman, P. C., Finlay, N. and E. Anderson 2006. The Archaeology of a Collection: The Keiller-Knowles Collection of the National Museum of Ireland. National Museum of Ireland Monograph Series 2. Wordwell, Bray.

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Appendix 2.2 N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Ballymoyle A022/019 E3204 Final Report

Appendix 2.3 Prehistoric Pottery Report – Dr Eoin Grogan and Helen Roche

Summary This site produced a single sherd of fine Beaker pottery from an irregular cut.

The Final Neolithic / Early Bronze Age The style of Beaker at Ballymoyle has generally been assigned, on the basis of a classic Bell Beaker profile and simple horizontally arranged zonal ornament, to Clarke’s European Bell Beaker, or his Wessex/Middle Rhine types (1970). More recently, following reviews by, for example, Lanting and van der Waals (1972), there has been a greater recognition of the regional development of Beaker. Case’s (1993) simpler threefold scheme, and its specific application to the Irish material, provides a straightforward medium for insular comparison (Case 1995). The Ballymoyle material conforms to his style 2 and is dated to c. 2450–2200 BC. The inclusion content is low and consists mainly of crushed quartzite and mica. This is typical of the increasing corpus of Beaker pottery from the Dublin-Wicklow area.

Recently Beaker has come from several sites in the south Leinster region including Newtown Little and Kilgobbin, Co. Dublin (Ward 2005; Hagen 2004; Grogan and Roche 2006; Grogan 2004a). These are significant additions to the material from Dalkey Island and Ballyedmonduff, Co. Dublin (Liversage 1968; Ó Ríordáin and deValera 1952), while there are also important new sites at Charlesland (Molloy 2003; Grogan 2004b; Phelan 2004; Brindley 2003a; 2003b; 2003c; Roche and Grogan 2005), Templerainy and Rathdown, Co. Wicklow, and Kerloge, Co. Wexford (Ó Ríordáin, B. 1998; Eogan 1998; Elder 2004).

CATALOGUE Where the pottery is listed in the catalogue the context numbers are in bold: e.g.: 20.13. The excavation number A022/019 is omitted throughout; only the context number, followed by the find number, is included.

20.13 is from the belly of a very fine vessel of smooth buff to pale buff fabric with a dark grey core. There is a medium content of crushed quartzite and some mica inclusions (up to 2 x 1mm). Thickness: 5mm. Weight: 3g. Decoration there are 4 scored horizontal lines dividing the belly into three unequal bands (5- 7.5mm high): the outer bands are plain while the middle one has closely spaced scored oblique lines crossed, more lightly, by vertical lines. This panel is bordered on one side by a deep vertical score indicating that it may have been interspersed by blank zones.

Recommended sherds for illustration

Vessel Context to draw Sherds Sherds to section only Photograph Decorated

1 20 B: 20.13 3 3

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Appendix 2.3 N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Ballymoyle A022/019 E3204 Final Report

Bibliography Brindley, A. 2003a Pottery report from Site A, Charlesland. Unpublished Report for Margaret Gowen and Co. Ltd. Brindley, A. 2003b Pottery report for Site D, Charlesland. Unpublished Report for Margaret Gowen and Co. Ltd. Brindley, A. 2003c Pottery report for Site F, Charlesland. Unpublished Report for Margaret Gowen and Co. Ltd. Case, H. 1993 Beakers: Deconstruction and After, Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 59, 241–68.

Case, H. 1995 ‘Irish Beakers in their European Context’. In J. Waddell and E. Shee Twohig (Eds.), Ireland in the Bronze Age, 14–29. Stationery Office, Dublin.

Clarke, D.L. 1970 Beaker Pottery of Great Britain and Ireland. Gulbenkian Archaeological Series, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Elder, S. 2004 Kerloge. Prehistoric. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2001, 403. Wordwell, Dublin.

Eogan, J. 1998 Rathdown Lower, Greystones, Co. Wicklow, Beaker Settlement. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 1997, 197-9, Wordwell, Dublin.

Grogan, E. 2004a, The prehistoric pottery assemblage from Kilgobbin, Co. Dublin. Unpublished Report for Margaret Gowen and Co. Ltd. Grogan, E. 2004b The prehistoric pottery assemblage from Charlesland, Co. Wicklow. Sites 1B, J, K, R.M.P Area 5 and GC 1. Unpublished report for Margaret Gowen and Co. Ltd.

Grogan, E. and Roche, H. 2006 The prehistoric pottery assemblage from Newtown Little (‘Belarmine’), Kilgobbin, Co. Dublin (05E0333). Unpublished Report for Margaret Gowen and Co. Ltd.

Hagen, I. 2004 Archaeological Excavations Interim Report. Phase 3 Development, Kilgobbin, Co. Dublin. Unpublished report for Margaret Gowen and Co. Ltd.

Lanting, J. and van der Waals, D. 1972 British Beakers as seen from the Continent, Helenium 12, 20–46.

Liversage, G.D. 1968 Excavations at Dalkey Island, Co. Dublin, 1956–1959, Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 66C, 53–233.

Molloy, B. 2003 Charlesland Residential Development, Co. Wicklow. Site J. Unpublished Report, Margaret Gowen and Co. Ltd.

Ó Ríordáin, B. 1998 Templerainy, Co. Wicklow. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 1997, 201. Wordwell, Dublin.

Ó Ríordáin, S.P. and deValera, R. 1952 Excavations of a megalithic tomb at Ballyedmonduff, Co. Dublin Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 55C, 61–8.

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Appendix 2.3 N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Ballymoyle A022/019 E3204 Final Report

Phelan, S. 2004, Excavations at Charlesland Durkin Sites C and D, Co. Wicklow. (Unpublished), Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.

Roche, H. and Grogan, E. 2005 The prehistoric pottery assemblage from Charlesland, ‘Durkin’, Co. Wicklow. Sites C and D: Areas 1 and 4. Unpublished Report for Margaret Gowen and Co. Ltd.

Tobin, R 2006 Coolbeg A022/073 Preliminary Report. N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement. Unpublished Report for Wicklow County Council / National Roads Authority. Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd.

Ward, K. 2005 Archaeological Monitoring and Excavation Preliminary Report, Newtown Little, Stepaside, Co. Dublin. Unpublished Report for Margaret Gowen and Co. Ltd.

Whitty, Y. 2006 Ballymoyle A022/019 Preliminary Report. N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement. Unpublished Report for Wicklow County Council / National Roads Authority. Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd.

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Appendix 2.3 N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Ballymoyle A022/019 E3204 Final Report

APPENDIX 3: LIST OF N11 RATHNEW TO ARKLOW ROAD IMPROVEMENT SITE NAMES

Ministerial Direction No. Townland NMS Registration Number Director A022/016 Ballinaskea E3201 Yvonne Whitty A022/017 Ballinaskea E3202 Yvonne Whitty A022/018 Ballinaskea E3203 Yvonne Whitty A022/019 Ballymoyle E3204 Yvonne Whitty A022/020 Ballymoyle E3205 Yvonne Whitty A022/021 Scratenagh E3206 Goorik Dehaene A022/022 Scratenagh E3207 Goorik Dehaene A022/023 Scratenagh E3208 Goorik Dehaene A022/024 Scratenagh E3209 Goorik Dehaene A022/025 Scratenagh E3210 Goorik Dehaene A022/026 Scratenagh E3211 Goorik Dehaene A022/027 Ballyrogan Lower E3212 Goorik Dehaene A022/028 Ballyrogan Lower E3213 Goorik Dehaene A022/029 Ballyrogan Lower E3214 Goorik Dehaene A022/030 Ballyrogan Lower E3215 Yvonne Whitty A022/031 Cranagh E3216 Yvonne Whitty A022/032 Cranagh E3217 Ellen O’ Carroll A022/033 Cranagh E3218 Ellen O’ Carroll A022/034 Cranagh E3219 Ellen O’ Carroll A022/035 Ballynapark E3220 Goorik Dehaene A022/036 Cloghoge E3221 Ellen O’ Carroll A022/037 Ballynapark E3222 Ellen O’ Carroll A022/038 Ballynapark E3223 Goorik Dehaene A022/039 Cloghoge E3224 Ellen O’ Carroll A022/040 Ballyclogh South E3226 Yvonne Whitty A022/041 Ballyclogh North E3227 Yvonne Whitty A022/042 Ballyclogh North E3228 Yvonne Whitty A022/043 Ballyclogh North E3229 Yvonne Whitty A022/044 Ballyclogh North E3230 Yvonne Whitty A022/045 Ballyclogh North E3231 Yvonne Whitty A022/046 Ballyclogh North E3232 Yvonne Whitty A022/047 Kilmurry South E3233 Yvonne Whitty A022/048 Kilmurry South E3234 Yvonne Whitty A022/049 Kilmurry South E3235 Red Tobin A022/050 Kilmurry North E3236 Red Tobin A022/051 Ballyvaltron E3237 Goorik Dehaene A022/052 Ballyvaltron E3238 Goorik Dehaene A022/053 Ballyvaltron E3239 Goorik Dehaene A022/054 Ballinacor East E3240 Red Tobin A022/055 Ballinacor East E3241 Red Tobin A022/056 Ballinacor East E3242 Red Tobin A022/057 Ballard Lower E3243 Red Tobin A022/058 Breagura E3244 Ellen O’ Carroll A022/059 Breagura E3245 Goorik Dehaene A022/060 Ballinameesda Upper E3246 Yvonne Whitty A022/061 Coolacork E3247 Yvonne Whitty A022/062 Coolacork E3248 Yvonne Whitty A022/063 Roscath E3249 Yvonne Whitty A022/064 Coolbeg E3250 Goorik Dehaene A022/065 Coolbeg E3251 Goorik Dehaene A022/066 Coolbeg E3252 Goorik Dehaene

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Appendix 3 N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Ballymoyle A022/019 E3204 Final Report

Ministerial Direction No. Townland NMS Registration Number Director A022/067 Coolbeg E3253 Goorik Dehaene A022/068 Coolbeg E3254 Goorik Dehaene A022/069 Coolbeg E3255 Goorik Dehaene A022/070 Coolbeg E3256 Goorik Dehaene A022/071 Coolbeg E3257 Goorik Dehaene A022/072 Coolbeg E3258 Ellen O’ Carroll A022/073 Coolbeg E3259 Red Tobin A022/074 Ballinaclogh E3260 Goorik Dehaene A022/075 Ballinaclogh E3261 Goorik Dehaene A022/076 Ballinaclogh E3262 Goorik Dehaene A022/077 Ballinaclogh E3263 Ellen O’ Carroll A022/081 Cloghoge E3225 Ellen O’ Carroll

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Appendix 3