2002:0079 - BALLYCASEY MORE, Clare

Excavation here was carried out in response to a planning condition for a residential development. Ballycasey More is to the south and south-east of Ballycasey Cross. A stream runs north–south along a field boundary toward the south-eastern extent of the site. Part of the site was initially assessed by Paul Stevens (Excavations 1998, No. 24, 98E0517). The earthworks were interpreted as being post-medieval in origin and included field banks, field systems, a roadway and a possible house. The initial stage of the housing development required monitoring of topsoil-stripping, which was carried out under licence 02E0569 (see No. 78, Excavations 2002). A large number of archaeological features were exposed within the three phases of the development.

Three linear features were exposed within Phase I, one of which was a post-medieval field boundary. Phase II contained the largest number of features and was the largest of the three phases. Three concentrations of archaeological activity were noted. These included an early medieval ditched enclosure, two adjoined rectangular stone-and-earthen-bank enclosures and the remains of three or four human burials from a disturbed context. The early medieval ditched enclosure had been partially excavated as part of the N18/N19 Ballycasey–Dromoland Road Improvement Scheme by Deirdre Murphy in 2001 (Excavations 2001, No. 45, 01E0026). A radiocarbon sample obtained from animal bone recovered from the ditch yielded an early medieval date of AD 640–900 (cal. BP 1310–1060). This enclosure had extended beyond the road-take into the south and south-western extents of Phase II of the development.

Topsoil-stripping exposed this section of the enclosure, which ran for a distance of c. 52m and was an irregular rectangular shape; 30% of the ditch had a homogeneous fill, and 70% contained two fills, suggesting that there were two phases on this site. The cut of the ditch was generally V-shaped in profile; however, it became shallow and U-shaped at its south-eastern extent, where it encountered bedrock. It reached a maximum depth of 1.2m (OD 4.502m). A series of associated linear features, pits, post-holes, stone alignments and spreads was exposed within and in the vicinity of the enclosure. A stone-lined entranceway was revealed at the eastern extent of the ditch.

After the removal of topsoil from the interior of the enclosure a rectangular spread was exposed. It consisted of compact, dark grey/black, silty clay with 2% charcoal, 25% animal bone and 40% subangular and angular limestone with occasional sandstone. The spread measured 4.5m north-west/south-east by 9m by 0.15m in maximum depth and was associated with the secondary cut of the ditch. Worked and polished stone, worked and butchered bone, iron fragments and two glass beads were recovered from this feature. A stone-lined structure was associated with this spread, which may have drained into the ditch of the enclosure itself. On excavation of the spread a number of pits and post-holes emerged beneath it. A number of knife blades were retrieved from various features in the interior of the enclosure, and these, along with the abundance of butchered animal bones, suggest that this site may have been used for animal slaughter. There was no evidence of a hearth within this enclosure and little evidence to suggest that this was a settlement area.

The two adjoined rectangular stone-and-earthen-bank enclosures were exposed toward the northern extent of Phase II. A straight earth-and-stone bank also ran south-eastward away from the enclosures. The north-western enclosure (Enclosure I) measured c. 30m by 20m, and the south-western (Enclosure II) 30m by 30m. There was no eastern wall within Enclosure I, which may indicate the entranceway. The entrance to Enclosure II was through a gap in the walls at the southernmost point. Excavation of the banks revealed faced stone walls. Each wall was constructed of two lines of faced stone with a packing of rubble in the interior. The walls were not very substantial at the western extents of both enclosures as limestone cropped out at this point and both enclosures took advantage of this natural characteristic. Numerous spreads, pits and linear features were exposed within these two enclosures and in an area at their north-western extents. A bronze ring-pin was retrieved from the rubble of the wall of the southern enclosure. A number of pits excavated toward the north-western extent of Enclosure I and toward the eastern extent of Enclosure II contained a large quantity of iron slag. This metalworking phase appears to pre-date the construction of the enclosures, as redeposited slag material had been incorporated in the construction of some of the walls. There is no conclusive evidence to establish a function for these enclosures. It is possible that they are animal pens, and they could relate to the early medieval enclosure less than 90m to the south.

Two grave-cuts and the remains of a third burial (only femurs remained) were exposed toward the south-eastern extent of this phase. This area was badly disturbed by quarrying in the 1960s, and it had been intensively farmed during the 20th century. It is therefore possible that there were originally more burials here. The burial remains, which were in simple grave-cuts, were oriented east–west and in a very poor state of preservation; few skeletal bones remained. Fragments of a human skull were retrieved from the quarried area immediately to the south-east of the burials, which may be part of the third burial or the remnants of a fourth. No grave-goods were present. The burials were situated c. 100m north-east of the early medieval enclosure and may have been associated with that phase. The remains are currently undergoing analysis.

The third phase of the development was to the south and south-east of Phase II. Archaeological features were exposed in three areas. A number of pits were excavated toward the southern extent of the phase, which may relate to the Bronze Age site excavated by Deirdre Murphy in 2001 as part of the N18/N19 Ballycasey–Dromoland Road Improvement Scheme (Excavations 2001, No. 45, 01E0026). A number of small pits and spreads containing cremated bone were exposed in the north-western extent of this phase. These may relate to the early medieval enclosure beside them. They are separated from the enclosure by an old roadway built decades ago, which destroyed the southern extent of the enclosure. An east–west-oriented field boundary ran just south of the cremation pits for a distance of 46m. A concentration of pits and post-holes was exposed toward the eastern extent of the site. These may represent a hut structure. Again, quarrying to the west of these may have destroyed further archaeological remains.

This site is in the very early stages of post-excavation analysis. Consequently, no radiocarbon or other specialist analysis reports have been returned. Without these, some of the archaeological activity on this site is currently inconclusive.

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