Pit

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture 370m E of the townland boundary with Rathcannon and 90m N of a stream. Not depicted on OSi historic maps. Identified as a feature (BGE 3/76/3) during topsoil-stripping on the Bord Gáis Éireann Pipeline to the West (Grogan et. al. 2007). Excavated in 2002 by Kate Taylor and Liam McKinstry under licence No. 02E0505, the results of which were summarised as follows; ‘Five features were excavated: a large subrectangular pit, two medium-sized pits and two small spreads of material, similar to the pit fills.
The large subrectangular pit measured 2.5m by 1.4m and was 0.45m deep. The two medium-sized pits were oval and measured 1.52m by 0.72m by 0.27m deep and 2.84m by 0.94m by 0.3m deep. The two spreads, which lay in natural depressions between the pits, had irregular oval shapes and were no more than 0.15m thick.
The pit fills and the spread materials were generally dark grey or black, sandy silts with orange/brown mottling and inclusions of charcoal and burnt and unburnt stone. The only finds recovered, from the large subrectangular pit, were a small number of pieces of animal bone, one of which may show butchery marks.
The excavated deposits, with high quantities of burnt stone and fragments of charcoal, are typical of material from burnt spreads or fulachta fiadh. It is likely that the pits represent similar activities, and it is possible that a greater spread of surface material was removed by later agricultural activity. In the absence of absolute dating (radiocarbon dates are anticipated), it is considered likely that site dates to the Bronze Age or the Iron Age ‘ (Taylor and McKinstry 2004, 295). Monument has been fully excavated and is not visible on aerial images.

See attached plan of excavated features.

Compiled by: Martin Fitzpatrick

Date of upload: 17 May 2021

References

Taylor, K. and McKinstry, L. 2004 Ballincurra (BGE 3/76/3); Prehistoric pits. In I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 2002: Summary Accounts of Archaeological Excavations in Ireland, 295, No. 1076. Wordwell, Bray.

Grogan, E., O'Donnell, L. and Johnston, P. 2007 The Bronze Age landscapes of the pipeline to the West. Bray. Wordwell.