2024:872 - Rathgoggan North, Cork
County: Cork
Site name: Rathgoggan North
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A
Licence number: 23E0806
Author: David Murphy
Author/Organisation Address: 3a Westpoint Trade Centre, Link Road, Ballincollig, Cork
Site type: Excavation including flat cremation cemetery
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 553340m, N 623900m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.364684, -8.685110
A programme of archaeological excavation was undertaken at a development site in Rathgoggan North, Charleville, County Cork from September 2023 to March 2024. Archaeological activity was revealed across three areas of the site (Areas 1, 2 & 3).
During the excavation of Area 1, Area 2 and Area 3 (a, b & c), a total of 590 individual contexts including seven burnt spreads, eight water-boiling troughs and numerous individual pits, post- and stake-holes (including two light structures) and their associated fills, as well as modern and early modern drainage and demesne-related linear features were recorded.
Of particular interest was Area 3 (c), located in the eastern portion of the development site, which contained a dense concentration of cremation pit activity which represented a ‘pit cemetery’ or ‘flat cemetery’ of Middle Bronze Age date (1600-1200 BC). The excavation revealed a total number of 106 cremation-related pit features and three cremation-related deposits. This concentration of cremation pit activity represents the largest flat cremation cemetery uncovered in Ireland to date.
Bayesian modelling of the secure returned dates suggests that interments at the cemetery commenced between 1530 BC and 1406 BC at 95.4% probability and between 1471 BC and 1421 BC at 68.3% probability and ended between 1402 BC and 1229 BC at 95.4% probability and 1386 BC and 1294 BC at 68.3% probability. The estimated span of the Middle Bronze Age activity within the cremation area was 273 to 5 years at 95.4% probability and 175 to 46 years at 68.3%.
Radiocarbon dating results from the wider site has revealed four phases of prehistoric activity extending from the Early to Middle Neolithic up to the Early Iron Age. The earliest recorded date within the site was within Area 3 (a) (UBA-57815: cal BC 3772-3646), while the latest recorded date was within Area 3 (c) (UBA-57835: cal BC 747-404).
Artefacts including a hollow-based arrowhead, a stone bead and multiple sherds of prehistoric pottery (representing 17 vessels of Early Neolithic and Middle Bronze Age date) were recovered from the site during the excavation.
