2000:0869 - BALLINCAR, Sligo

This work, carried out between 29 May and 16 June 2000, involved a rescue excavation in advance of development at Ballincar townland, Co. Sligo. The development consisted of the realignment of the R291 Sligo–Rosses Point road. The excavation was carried out following the discovery of a number of features during monitoring of topsoil-stripping in advance of the realignment (see Excavations 2000, No. 868). The features consisted of two burnt spreads and a ditch. Three cuttings were opened during the course of this excavation.

Cutting A was along the south-west of the realignment, adjacent to the existing R291, to the south and south-west of the burnt spreads and ditch uncovered during earlier topsoil-stripping. It measured 14.5–15m north-west/south-east by 5–6.5m. It contained three burnt spreads, a ditch, a small area of wood and six pits. The first burnt spread was located centrally, over approximately 50% of the cutting, and measured 0.05–0.26m in thickness. The second burnt spread was located 1.2m from the south-western side and 5.1m from the south-eastern end of the cutting. It measured 0.6m north–south by 0.4m and 0.15m in thickness. The third burnt spread was located 0.3m from the south-western side and 6.1m from the south-eastern end of the cutting. It measured 0.55m north-east/south-west by 0.4m and was 0.1m in thickness. The ditch measured 6.5m long (east–west), 0.9m wide (max.) and 0.52m deep. It ran from the eastern corner of the cutting, exiting the south-western side at 3.8m from its south-eastern end. One trench was excavated to investigate the ditch, which had two fills. It measured 2.25m north–south by 0.8–0.9m. The upper fill consisted of brown/black, plastic, silt loam, which measured 0.2m in maximum thickness. The basal fill consisted of brown/grey, friable silt loam with occasional small stones, which measured 0.15m in maximum thickness. The small area of wood, also partially found within the burnt spread, was located 1.6m from the north-western end of the cutting and 0.2m from the north-eastern side. It was orientated north–south and measured 0.5m by 0.4m (max.) and 20–50mm in thickness.

The first pit was oval and was found 3.3m from the north-western end of the cutting and 1.9m from the south-western side. It measured 1.05m east–west by 0.9m by 0.5m deep (max.) and was filled with topsoil. The next four pits were located below the first burnt spread. The second, roughly oval, pit was located 2.5m from the north-western end and 0.7m from the north-eastern side of the cutting. It was 1.3m north–south, 1.12m wide and 0.22m deep. The third, roughly circular pit was located 0.9m from the north-western end and 1.7m from the north-eastern side of the cutting. It was 1m north–south, 1.2m wide and 0.25m deep. The fourth, roughly rectangular pit was located 3.8m from the north-western end and 1.4m from the north-eastern side of the cutting. It was 1.27m north-north-west/south-south-east, 1.2m wide and 0.31m deep (max.). The fifth, roughly circular pit was located 5.9m from the north-western end and 1.3m from the north-eastern side of the cutting. It was 1.31m north–south, 1.25m wide and 0.37m deep (max.). Within the burnt spread was a lens of black/grey, plastic, sandy silt loam with grit, which was 0.7m north-west/south-east, 0.35–0.55m wide and 20mm in maximum thickness. The basal fill was a mid-brown, friable, sandy, silt loam, which was 1m x 1m and 50–150mm in thickness. The sixth, subrectangular pit was located 6.4m from the north-western end and 0.4m from the south-western side of the cutting. It measured 1.15m east–west, 0.88m north–south and 0.22m deep. It was filled with dark brown, friable silt loam, which measured 1.15m east–west by 0.88m and was 0.19m in maximum thickness. At the base of the pit, below the fill, was a lattice of wood and wattle, 10–20mm in thickness. Below this was natural subsoil, sands, gravels and bedrock.

Cutting B was along the north-eastern side of the realignment, at the north-western end of Cutting C, and was 5–5.5m north-west/south-east by 4–4.5m wide. It contained one of the two burnt spreads discovered during earlier topsoil-stripping, which measured 2.15m east–west by 0.6–1.35m and was 0.22m in maximum thickness. It was the upper fill of a subrectangular pit/trough, which measured 2.15m east–west, 0.55–1.3m wide and 0.45m deep. The basal fill of the trough consisted of a black, loose silt loam with moderate to frequent amounts of burnt stone. It measured 2.15m east–west by 0.5–0.75m and was 0.32m in maximum thickness. The pit/trough was cut into natural subsoil.

Cutting C was located to the north-east of Cutting A along the north-eastern side of the realignment. It measured 12.5–14m north-west/south-east by 7.2–13.5m. It contained the second of the two burnt spreads and the ditch discovered during topsoil-stripping. Three trenches were opened to investigate the ditch. Trench 1 was near the southern end of the ditch and measured 5.6–6m east–west and 1.5m in width. Trench 2 was 2.5m further north and measured 4.5m east–west and 1.5m in width. Trench 3 was 2.5m further north again and measured 5.5m east–west and 1.5m in width.

The excavation revealed the full extent of the ditch, which contained six fills, and the burnt spread. The burnt spread was located along the western side of the ditch and measured 10–160mm in thickness. Two areas of burnt, natural subsoil were found adjacent to and below the burnt spread. The ditch was 15m long, 1.6–2m wide and 0.37–0.5m deep and was cut into the natural subsoil, which was located at the base of the stratigraphy over much of the entire cutting area. It consisted of orange/brown/grey/cream, loose, loamy sand. The first upper fill of the ditch consisted of a mid-brown, friable clay loam and was found at the northern end of the ditch for 10m in length at up to 0.3m in thickness. The second fill was the upper fill of the ditch for 4m in length at its southern end. It consisted of grey, firm, silt loam and measured up to 0.9m in width and 0.18m in maximum thickness. Below the first fill was another, a grey, plastic silt loam. It measured up to 1.8m in width and 0.25m in maximum thickness and was found at the northern end of the ditch for 10m. Below the second fill was redeposited subsoil, which also formed the western side of a pit (see below). It was found from here to the southern end of the ditch and measured 5.4m in length, up to 4.8m in width and 0.1–0.32m in thickness. The final two fills of the ditch consisted of a dark grey/black, firm silt loam with occasional burnt stone and a black/grey, friable, sandy silt loam with frequent burnt stone. The first was the basal fill of the ditch and was located along the entire length of the ditch at up to 1.7m wide and 0.2m in thickness. The second was located along the western side of the ditch in a 3.8m section near its southern end. It was found below the first and measured 0.6m in width and 40–100mm in thickness.

The excavation also revealed a pit and two smaller ditches extending from the main ditch. The pit was 1.3m from the south-eastern end of the cutting on the eastern side of the ditch. It was 3.3m long (north-north-west/south-south-east), 1.5–1.6m wide and 0.4m deep (max.). It contained two fills. The upper fill consisted of a grey, friable, sandy loam with rust staining and grit; it measured 4m north–south, 1.5m in width (max.) and 0.4m in maximum thickness. The basal fill consisted of grey, firm, sandy silt loam with rust staining; it was 2.7m long, 0.9–1.14m wide and 10–140mm in thickness. The two smaller ditches both ran into the northern end of the main ditch. The larger of the two exited into the north-eastern side of the cutting. It was 2.8m long (east–west), 1m wide and 0.45m deep (max.). It was filled with light/mid-brown, friable, silt loam, which measured 1.9m east–west, 0.8m wide and 0.5m in thickness. The remaining ditch measured 2.15m long (north-north-east/south-south-west), 0.5m wide and 0.2–0.27m deep. It was filled with mid-/dark brown, friable, sandy loam with frequent rocks and measured 2.8m north-north-east/south-south-west, 0.53–1.5m wide and 0.1–0.34m thick.

Full analysis of the results of the excavation is not yet completed as post-excavation work is continuing.

Purcell House, Oranmore, Co. Galway