2001:115 - BALLYNACARRIGA (1), Cork

This site was located in the townland of Ballynacarriga at chainage 4150 of the main bypass route and its intersection with the new Ballynacarriga Access Road. The site was a large, ditch-defined, double-enclosure settlement of the Early Christian period, on the northern slope of a small valley; the main enclosure was on the valley floor, while the later, upper enclosure was on the slope of the valley. The main enclosed area was roughly square in plan, extending for 35m north–south by 40m as far the eastern CPO line. The upper enclosed area was roughly rectangular and formed by a northward extension of the eastern arm of the main enclosure that then turned westward.

Ditches
The ditch of the main enclosure was almost square in plan, with three of the rounded corners exposed during excavation. The fourth corner and the remainder of the enclosure are located beyond the CPO line to the east. The ditch was U-shaped in profile at the southern part on the flat of the valley floor, with an average width of 3m and depth of 1.75m, changing to a V-shaped profile on the northern part on the valley slope, with a width of 2.5m and a depth of 3m. The ditch widened to a maximum of 5m on the western run. There was no definite indication of an entrance to the enclosure, although the presence of natural gravels in the heavily truncated south-west corner of the ditch is the most likely candidate. Initial interpretation of the fills of the ditch indicate that the lower fills are a result of silting-up over a long period of time, with the upper fills a possible deliberate backfilling over a short period of time.

The enclosing ditch of the upper enclosure was a northwards extension of the east side of the main enclosure, which ran north for 47m and then turned, going west for 51m. This ditch was consistently a deep U-shape in profile, being 3.3m wide and 3m deep on average on the westward run and of similar depth and width of 3m on the northward run. Initial interpretation of the fills of the ditch indicate that the lower fills are a result of silting-up over a long period of time, with the upper fills a possible deliberate backfilling over a short period of time. The presence of a heavy clay fill, predominantly where the cut of the ditch truncates natural gravel deposits, applied to the sides may indicate that the ditch had been waterproofed.

No evidence for extant banks inside or outside the enclosing ditches of both areas was recorded during excavation. However, this does not rule out the possibility that banks were once a feature of this site. Indeed, ditches of such size would have generated substantial amounts of upcast. This material, when utilised as a bank, would undoubtedly have added to the effectiveness of the enclosing element, whether for defensive or merely enclosing purposes. It is most likely that any bank was used to backfill the open ditches at some stage in the past. A local farmer related that in his memory the field in which the site is located contained lumps and hollows that had been machine-levelled approximately 40 years ago.

Interior features
The interior features of the main enclosure represented a long period of occupation. The focus of activity in the interior was in the south-western part of the enclosure, close to the possible entrance. The most readily recognisable housing features consisted of a large circular stake-hole structure, some 8.7m in diameter (Structure 1), which was truncated by a later rectangular structure (Structure 2) that was picked up in post-excavation. Two earth-cut souterrains with possible suggestions of timber lining were uncovered within the enclosure. Souterrain 1 was roughly horseshoe-shaped in plan and was located to the north of the circular house. Souterrain 2 was roughly rectangular with a small perpendicular offshoot and was located in the eastern half of the enclosure. A large subcircular cooking-pit, 5m in diameter, was located to the south of the circular structure. Further linear slot-trenches and post-hole alignments were present in this area and may represent further structural activity. Two poorly preserved corn-drying kilns and a small box furnace were excavated within the main enclosure.

The internal features of the upper enclosure were more clear-cut than those of the main area and consisted in the main of three circular structures, 2A, 2B and 2C. Structures 2A and 2B were of slot-trench construction, averaging 5m in diameter, and the slot-trench was 0.3m wide. Structure 2B was the better preserved of the two huts. The function of Structure 2C was less clear. Again, it was circular, but it had a double slot-trench and the southern portion was absent. Its close proximity to corn-drying kilns K2B and K2C suggest that it may have been a windbreak of some kind. Three corn-drying kilns, K2A, K2B and K2C, were uncovered in this enclosure; all were keyhole-shaped and had evidence for stone linings to both flue and chambers. A large rectangular feature, S2A, a possible souterrain measuring 6m in length, 0.9m in width and 0.9m in depth, was found close to the outer edge of the northern arm of the main enclosure.

The nature of the interior features of the enclosures plus the noticeable lack of finds, apart from two complete decorative glass beads, would suggest an Early Christian period date for this monument. The results of radiocarbon dating from the enclosing ditches support this finding, with the main enclosure ditch producing a 2-sigma calibration date of cal. AD 420–670 (cal. BP 1530–1280). The lowest fill of the upper enclosure ditch produced a 2-sigma calibration date of cal. AD 620–700 (cal. BP 1320–1250). These dates show continuity on site potentially from the early 5th to early 11th century AD.

Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth