Excavation - miscellaneous

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated just below the crest of a low, flat-topped, N-facing ridge, in wet pasture. A prehistoric settlement (LI021-165----) lies 200m to N. Not depicted on OS historic mapping. Monument identified in 1999 as a possible prehistoric settlement during monitoring of topsoil-stripping on the N20/N21 Adare to Annacotty Road Improvement Scheme. It was excavated (License No. 99E0342) by James Eogan and Sinclair Turrell and was described as a shallow ditch (Wth 1m; L 21m) running NE-SW across the site and merging with a shallow pit at the E edge of the excavation area (Eogan and Turrell 2000, 1; Eogan and Turrell 2000, 160). A shallower, slightly wider ditch (L 5.5m) runs NW-SE to the immediate NW of the first ditch. These ditches seem to form the corner of a rectangular enclosure. With the exception of two isolated features, all activity on the site was concentrated within the angle formed by these two ditches.
The first ditch was cut by an irregular, shallow pit, midway along its length. North-west of this A shallow depression that had post-holes along its NE edge was to NW of the pit. These, along with a number of adjacent post-holes, enclosed a roughly subrectangular-shaped area (approx. 4m x 2m) and may define a small structure (ibid). Approximately 3m to SW of the longer ditch was a shallow, square stone-lined feature (1.2m x 1.1m) which may have been a hearth. A single pit (diam. 1.6m) was identified c. 15m S of the main cluster of features.
The ditches have been interpreted as field boundary drains, while the other features may indicate that there was some small-scale domestic or industrial activity in the corner of a field, as suggested by the charcoal-rich pit and hearth (ibid). The finds from the excavation consisted solely of some small scraps of animal bone. It is hoped that these, together with charcoal and ash samples, will provide enough material for radiocarbon dates.
Monument is not visible on Digital Globe orthophotos taken 2011-13 or on Google Earth orthoimages taken 28/06/2018.

See attached Google Earth orthoimage.

Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly

Date of upload: 6 August 2020

References

Eogan, J. and Turrell, S. 2000 Summary report on excavations at Site 2, Ballygeale, Co. Limerick. Archaeological Investigations along the N20/N21 Adare to Annacotty Road Improvement Scheme. License no. 99E0342. Unpublished report submitted to the National Monuments Service, Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Dublin.

Eogan, J. and Turrell, S. 2000 Ballygeale Site 2; Undated field boundary and pits. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 1999: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 160 (No. 486). Bray. Wordwell.