Charcoal-making site

The National Monuments Service's description

Located in a gently undulating landscape. Archaeological testing (E004551) by E. Ruttle in 2014 of previously untested areas required for the construction of the M11 motorway identified these archaeological deposits that were completely excavated (E004595) by the same archaeologist as Ballycarrigeen Lower 9 in late May 2014 as three separate areas (excavations.ie 2014:386). A single pit (diam. 0.4m; D 0.09m) had a layer of dark brown clayey silt with charcoal flecks and occasional lumps of burnt clay in Area A. In Area B, 40m to the W a rectangular pit (dims 1.48m x 0.9m; D 0.15m) had straight sides and a flat, fire-reddened base. It was lined with a layer of charcoal (T 0.05m) beneath a layer of grey clayey silt. The pit was used for the production of charcoal. About 45m to the SW in Area C two pits (dims 0.76m x 0.69m; D 0.12m: diam. 0.6m; D 0.19m) just 3m apart were filled with brown clayey silts that had charcoal flecks as well as some redeposited subsoil and stones. No artefacts were recovered from the excavation but two sherds of high medieval pottery were recovered in the topsoil. (Ruttle 2015, 6-7)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 6 January 2023

Ruttle, E. 2015 M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy Scheme, Co. Wexford. Ballycarrigeen Lower 9. Post-excavation assessment. Licence: E004595. Unpublished report, TVAS