2023:835 - Ballysallagh Business Park, Railway Road, Ballysallagh, Charleville, Cork

Archaeological monitoring and subsequent excavation was undertaken at the site of a proposed industrial development following a programme of test trenching (Licence 22E0116, excavations.ie entry 2022:869), where a probable charcoal-production pit was identified.

Monitoring of topsoil stripping was undertaken across the eastern half of the development site, where the initial charcoal-production pit, identified during test trenching, along with additional features, were uncovered towards the south-eastern corner. The subsequent excavation revealed these features to comprise two shallow charcoal-production pits, three further pits and a charcoal-rich deposit.

The charcoal-production pits (1 and 2) were defined by their charcoal-rich fills and were each outlined by an oxidised ‘halo’ of fire-reddened clay, indicative of in-situ burning. Both pits survived as elongated rectangles with rounded corners and measured 1.7m by 0.92m by 0.11m and 3.75m by 1.03-1.16m by 0.08m respectively. The primary fills of each consisted of black, charcoal-rich silts, which were subsequently sealed by firm clays. An additional black, charcoal-rich clayey silt was recorded as the upper fill of charcoal-production pit 2.

Oval pit 5 appeared somewhat similar to the charcoal-production pits and contained comparable fills. Together with an adjacent charcoal-rich deposit (57) it may have once represented the remains of an additional charcoal-production pit, but was heavily disturbed by a modern trench. The pit (5) measured 0.82m long, 0.52m wide and 0.08m deep and displayed slight fire-reddening along the base, while the deposit (57) was similar to the charcoal-rich fills at the base of the charcoal-production pits, and measured 1.18m by 0.56m, but survived to no more than 0.01m thick.

The two remaining pits (3 and 4) did not contain evidence of in-situ burning, but did contain remnant burnt remains, including frequent charcoal and some heart-affected stone and minute fragments of burnt bone, indicative of their use as refuse pits. Both pits were sub-circular and each contained a single, firm clayey silt fill. Pit 3 measured 0.7m by 0.57m by 0.1m, while pit 4 was 1.01m long, 0.87m wide and 0.14m deep.

No finds were recovered during the excavation. Two radiocarbon determinations were made, both from oak (quercus) charcoal. The charcoal from pit 1 returned at date of Cal. AD 885-991 2 sigma (1124±23, UBA-53669), while the charcoal from pit 2 returned a date of Cal. AD 996-1154 2 Sigma (985±22, UBA-53670), placing both towards the latter end of the early medieval period, between the late 9^th and mid-12^th centuries AD. Given the close proximity and the similar morphology of the remaining features it is likely that they are contemporaneous.