Excavation - miscellaneous

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture 70m N of a stream that marks the townland boundary with Knockuregare. Not depicted on OSi historic maps. Identified as (BGE 3/77/15) 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; ‘A single pit measuring 1m north–south by 1.65m was encountered. It was a shallow curvilinear pit cut into the yellow/orange boulder-clay subsoil. The cut was 0.2m deep. The fill was a dark grey, silty clay with moderate amounts of charcoal and charcoal flecking. Two fragments of debitage, one chert and the other flint, were recovered, along with a burnt flint end scraper. These finds indicate a Neolithic or possible Bronze Age date. No signs of in situ burning were encountered, although, owing to the grey discoloration and frequent inclusions of charcoal, it is probable that that this was a single-use hearth that was not burning for an extended period of time or with enough intensity to discolour the surrounding clay subsoil permanently (Halpin 2004, 298-9)’. Monument has been fully excavated and is not visible on aerial images.

Compiled by: Martin Fitzpatrick

Date of upload: 20 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.