Excavation - miscellaneous

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture 145m E of a stream that marks the townland boundary with Knockuregare. Enclosure (LI039-120----) lies c. 85m to NE. Not depicted on OSi historic maps. Identified as BGE 3/77/9 in 2002 by Ken Wiggins (Licence 02E0119) during topsoil-stripping on the Bord Gáis Éireann Pipeline to the West. Excavated in 2002 by Brian Halpin under licence No. 02E0396 the results of which were summarised as follows; ‘four irregularly shaped pits were encountered. They varied in size, the largest having a diameter of 0.8m and the smallest 0.12m. They were generally subcircular and U-shaped, except for one, which was steep sided and V-shaped and was interpreted as a possible post-hole. The other pits were thought to have been possible single-use cooking places, with a high concentration of charcoal on the base but with natural deposition comprising the remainder of the fill. Chert debitage and a possible hammerstone were recovered from the features, along with a fragment of worked chert' (Halpin 2004, 297-8). Monument has been fully excavated and is not visible on aerial images.

Compiled by: Martin Fitzpatrick

Date of upload: 19 May 2021

References

Halpin, B. 2004 Ballingayrour (BGE 3/77/7-9, 12, 13, 15, 16, 19); Various. In I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 2002: Summary Accounts of Archaeological Excavations in Ireland, 298-9, No. 1087. Wordwell, Bray.