Excavation - miscellaneous

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture 140m N of a stream that marks the townland boundary with Knockuregare. Not depicted on OSi historic maps. Identified as (BGE 3/77/20) in 2002 by Ken Wiggins (Licence 02E0119) during topsoil-stripping on the Bord Gáis Éireann Pipeline to the West. Bronze Age ditch and associated features excavated in 2002 by Brian Halpin under licence No. 02E0517 the results of which were summarised as follows; ‘This site, in Ballingayrour townland, Co. Limerick, contained a curvilinear ditch, along with associated pits and stake-holes. The nearest stake-hole to the ditch was 0.1m south of it, and the nearest pit was 0.06m north-east of it. The area contained two separate sites, probably related to each other. An area of machine disturbance heavily truncated the ground between both sites, making a direct correlation difficult. The first site was an elongated ditch measuring 9m by 0.7m, running west to south-east. A cluster of associated features of varying dimensions lay at the westernmost part of the ditch, c. 0.4m south of it. The ditch had a very well-defined cut, with definite termini at both ends. The cut was U-shaped with sharp sides. The base was flat, containing minor amounts of naturally arrayed stones. Although occasional sherds of pottery were recovered from the fill of the ditch, the largest concentration of pottery was retrieved from the eastern terminus. The western terminus contained three small sherds found at the base. The eastern terminus had a very large deposit of body- and rimsherds found roughly in place, lining the base and rising up slightly on the side. Analysis of this pottery established that it had been broken in antiquity and either carefully deposited or thrown into the ditch. A reconstruction proved it to be a vertical-walled, flat-based, undecorated vessel associated with the Late Bronze Age. An irregular sub-oval pit/depression lay 2m south of the ditch, measuring 1.54m north-east/south-west by 0.66m. Pottery of a similar type was recovered from this feature. Two other, irregularly shaped pits contained moderate amounts of charcoal but no finds or features to indicate their purpose. Six subcircular features scattered throughout the site were recorded. They had varying dimensions, the largest measuring 0.6m by 0.68m and the smallest 0.26m by 0.24m. Five were shallow and U-shaped and contained varying amounts of charcoal-rich fill. One, however, was fairly deep, with very well-defined, steep sides, and contained very little charcoal. Eleven stake-holes found to the south of the western terminus of the ditch were similar in design: shallow, V-shaped cuts with single fills of silty clay, cut into the subsoil. They were not aligned in any particular pattern but may have been used as a temporary windbreak (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.