N11 RATHNEW TO ARKLOW ROAD IMPROVEMENT NMSR No.: E3241 SITE A022/055 NGR: 327093/186891 TOWNLAND: BALLINACOR EAST COUNTY: WICKLOW FINAL REPORT ON BEHALF OF WICKLOW COUNTY COUNCIL AND THE NATIONAL ROADS AUTHORITY RED TOBIN JUNE 2009 N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Ballinacor East A022/055 E3241 Final Report ABSTRACT This site is located in the townland of Ballinacor East c. 8km southwest of Wicklow Town, 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 July 2005. The testing revealed a burnt mound or fulacht fiadh at the site, which consisted of a spread of black silty clay with frequent charcoal and heat-fractured stone, measuring 3.50m x 3.50m x 0.15m deep. To the north of the burnt material was a layer of non-heat affected stones. The stones were generally sub-round or sub-angular with frequent inclusions of cremated bone fragments recovered from between them. It was not possible to determine whether the bone was animal or human at the time of testing. Sherds of prehistoric pottery, dating to the Neolithic were also recovered. Subsequent excavation has revealed a site characterised by a number of features, including a, as well as the remains of a fulacht fiadh or burnt mound. The excavation area measured 20m x 20m which therefore totalled 400m². The earliest activity on the site consisted of a sub-rectangular pit [C23], which was partially lined with contiguously set flat stones. It was initially interpreted as a cremation pit, but due to osteological analysis, has subsequently been reinterpreted as a waste pit. The fill of the pit was characterised by banded layers of grey silt and charcoal rich material. Oak charcoal recovered from (C22), one of the fills of this pit (O’Carroll, Appendix 2.5), was sent for AMS dating and returned a two sigma radiocarbon date of AD 1260-1390 (Wk20682, Appendix 2.4). This late date may be the result of disturbance from drain [C35]. The top fill of this pit, (C6), contained two pieces of flint, a flake and piece of debitage, both of which appear to be Bronze Age or Neolithic (Sternke (Appendix 2.1). A further flint flake found at the natural subsoil/topsoil interface was also recognised as being probably Neolithic or Bronze Age (Sternke, Appendix 2.1). The limits of this feature were defined by a number of shallow stakeholes {1003} which indicate the former presence of a light structure. Although the stratigraphic relationship is unclear, the structure may have been associated with the burning of animal bone. The pit produced 137 fragments of burnt bone, just one of which was identified to species: possible sus/pig phalanx (0.9g) representing one anatomical unit (McCarthy, Appendix 2.7). Soil samples from the fill of this pit were examined and produced cereal grains and weed seeds (Johnston, Appendix 2.6). Particularly noticeable was the presence of a large quantity of edible seeds from the Knotweed/Dock family. Oat grains were also recovered, probably from wild plants. Pottery recovered from this pit has been identified as fragments of two carinated bowls of Neolithic date (4000-3700 BC) (Grogan and Roche, Appendix 2.3). There was also evidence of activity associated with a burnt mound, although this only consisted of the remains of the mound itself. Oak (Quercus spp), holly (Pomoideae), pomoideae (apple type) and alder (Alnus glutinosa) were identified from a sample of the main burnt mound spread (C8) (O’Carroll, Appendix 2.5). The charcoal identified Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd i N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Ballinacor East A022/055 E3241 Final Report indicates a selection of wood species from varied environments, as alder will grow in wetland conditions while holly, pomoideae and oak are indicative of a somewhat drier environment. No trough was recorded during the excavations at this site. It is possible further features lay beyond the limits of excavation and some displacement of material is likely to have happened over time. It is also possible a portable trough which left no archaeological record was used. The burnt mound may have been associated with the waste pit although no date has been established for the mound and it may also have been a result of later activity. A single sherd of 18th or 19th Century Buckley ware was recovered from the topsoil (Mccutcheon, Appendix 2.2) ii Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Ballinacor East A022/055 E3241 Final Report ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The archaeological excavation at Ballinacor East, 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 Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd iii N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Ballinacor East A022/055 E3241 Final Report CONTENTS Abstract i Acknowledgements iii Contents iv List of Figures vi List of Plates vi 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 (4000 – 2400 BC) 5 2.2.2 Bronze Age Landscape (2400 – 500 BC) 6 2.2.3 Site Specific Background 11 2.2.4 Typological Background of Burnt Mounds 12 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: Neolithic Activity 17 4.3 Group III: Undated Activity 20 4.4 Group IV: Post Medieval Activity 23 4.5 Group V: Topsoil 24 5 Discussion 25 5.1 Physical Setting 25 5.2 Summary of the Site Specific Archaeological Landscape 25 5.3 Summary of Excavation Results 25 5.4 Summary of Specialist Analysis 26 5.4.1 Lithic Report - Dr Farina Sternke 26 5.4.2 Post-Medieval and Modern Pottery Report - Clare McCutcheon 26 5.4.3 Prehistoric Pottery Report – Eoin Grogan and Helen Roche 26 5.4.4 Radiocarbon Dating Results – Waikato University Laboratory 26 5.4.5 Charcoal and Wood ID Report – Ellen O’ Carroll 26 5.4.6 Seeds Analysis – Penny Johnston 27 5.4.7 Osteological Report of Burnt Bone – Aoife McCarthy 27 5.5 Discussion 27 6 Bibliography 29 Figures iv Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Ballinacor East A022/055 E3241 Final Report Plates Appendix 1 Catalogue of Primary Data Appendix 1.1 Context Register Appendix 1.2 Artefact Catalogue Appendix 1.3 Archive Index Appendix 2 Specialist Reports Appendix 2.1 Lithic Report - Dr Farina Sternke Appendix 2.2 Post-Medieval and Modern Pottery Report - Clare McCutcheon Appendix 2.3 Prehistoric Pottery Report – Eoin Grogan and Helen Roche Appendix 2.4 Radiocarbon Dating Results – Waikato University Laboratory Appendix 2.5 Charcoal and Wood ID Report – Ellen O’ Carroll Appendix 2.6 Seeds Analysis – Penny Johnston Appendix 3 List of N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Site Names Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd v N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Ballinacor East A022/055 E3241 Final Report List of Figures Figure 1 Site A022/055 E3241, Site location on OS Discovery Series Background Figure 2 Site A022/055 E3241, Showing RMP and OS background Figure 3 Site A022/055 E3241, Detail of site within development Figure 4 Site A022/055 E3241, Post-excavation plan Figure 5 Site A022/055 E3241, Section through [C23], the burnt mound and [C4] Figure 6 Site A022/055 E3241, Site Matrix List of Plates Plate 1 Site pre-excavation, facing southwest Plate 2 Stone lining [C24] and fills of possible cremation pit, alongside burnt mound material (C8) mid-excavation, facing northeast Plate 3 Possible cremation pit [C23] mid-excavation, facing west Plate 4 Southeast facing section of burnt mound vi Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Ballinacor East A022/055 E3241 Final Report 1 INTRODUCTION This final stratigraphic report provides comment and analysis on the excavation carried out in the townland of Ballinacor East, Co. Wicklow (Figures 1, 2 and 3) as part of an archaeological mitigation program associated with the N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement. Archaeological fieldwork was directed by Red Tobin of Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd. (IAC Ltd.) and was funded by Wicklow County Council and the National Roads Authority. 1.1 Site Location This site is located in Ballinacor East townland, Dunganstown parish and the barony of Arklow to the immediate west of the current N11, c. 8km southwest of Wicklow Town (County Wicklow OS sheet 41). The site is: • Site Ballinacor East, Ministerial Direction No. A022/055, NMS Registration No.: E3241, route chainage (Ch) 9960, NGR 327093/186891 The site was identified on low lying land adjacent to a stream, as a result of a test trenching exercise undertaken by IAC Ltd. under the same contract in July 2005 (Ministerial Direction A022/009, Gill McLoughlin/David Bayley). The route was divided into 14 different test areas for the initial ground testing / assessment phase.