2000:0112 - BALLINVINNY SOUTH, Cork

The possibility that an archaeological site existed in this area was raised during the excavation of a nearby fulacht fiadh (see Excavations 2000, No. 111, 00E0251) when the landowner reported the tradition of a ‘fort’ in the area, which had been levelled in the past. The ‘fort’ was not shown on any edition of the 6-inch OS maps and could not be detected on the surface.

Because the area lies directly in the path of a proposed new section of the N8, the Watergrasshill bypass, archaeological investigation was deemed necessary. Accordingly, geophysical testing in the form of a Fluxgate gradiometry survey was initially carried out. This revealed a series of linear magnetic anomalies but nothing that could be construed as a ringfort.

Test-trenches were then opened in the area where the magnetic anomalies had been discovered. A number of linear features were noted, which appeared to correspond to features indicated in the geophysical survey. Several of these were shallow, insubstantial trenches or furrows with a depth of c. 0.05m below the base of the topsoil, and their fill was almost identical in nature to the topsoil. It is likely that they were cultivation furrows.

One feature differed substantially in that it was cut into the subsoil to a depth of c. 0.2m and its fill consisted of a very black silt with a high content of stones. The high stone content suggests that it may have been a drainage feature, but the black, silty nature of the fill indicates that it originated in some nearby human occupation site.

Further north-west in the same test-trench a substantial ditch measuring 3m wide at the top and c. 1.6m deep was encountered. Further investigation indicated that this was a linear ditch running north–south for at least 30m. The ditch appears to merge with the third archaeological feature encountered—a circular enclosure ditch. The limit of this feature was established by opening a series of short test-trenches in a radial pattern. The enclosure ditch was c. 2m wide at the top and was c. 1.3m deep.

The test-trenching appears to confirm the existence of a circular enclosure on the site, in accordance with local tradition of a ‘fort’ in the area. In addition, two linear ditches were noted, extending north and east from the enclosure. The full extent of these features and their relationship to the enclosure will only be established by further excavation.

The linear features and approximately 80% of the circular enclosure lie within the limits of the proposed new road corridor.

Ballynanelagh, Rathcormac, Co. Cork