County: Cork Site name: BALLINASPIG MORE 7
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E1233
Author: Ed Danaher, ACS Ltd.
Site type: Fulacht fia
Period/Dating: Bronze Age (2200 BC-801 BC)
ITM: E 562165m, N 569021m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 51.872097, -8.549438
Monitoring was carried out as part of the N22 Ballincollig Bypass Scheme in the townland of Ballinaspig More. This revealed a spread of burnt-mound material, which was identified on excavation to be a multi-phased fulacht(a) fiadh with a well-defined stratigraphical sequence. It was less than 50m east of a second fulacht fiadh, Ballinaspig More 6 (No. 216, Excavations 2002, 02E1230), and c. 200m north-west of a possible Bronze Age settlement, Ballinaspig More 5 (No. 215, Excavations 2002, 02E1033), in an area of relatively flat land with slightly higher ground to the south. The nearest water source, Twopot River, was c. 350m east of the site.
An area measuring 20m east–west by 10.3m was cleaned back by hand. Removal of the burnt-mound spread (maximum dimensions: 11.72m east–west by by 8.59m by 1.47m deep) revealed at least three phases of activity and possibly two distinct fulachta fiadh. The first phase, and consequently the earlier fulacht fiadh, was represented by a sub-oval trough and a series of stake-holes. The burnt-mound material that had been generated by this fulacht fiadh was used to cover these features, having been spread out evenly throughout much of the site.
Sealing this layer was a spread of redeposited natural, which appeared to have derived from the construction of the second fulacht fiadh, particularly the trough. This trough, the second of three on the site, was to the north-east of Trough 1, and there was a hearth directly north of it. This second trough was excavated into impermeable clay subsoil and held water naturally, without the aid of any lining. Stake-holes were present to the east and west of it, indicating that a structure may have been placed over it. The stake-holes to the west of this structure were inserted in the above-mentioned redeposited natural. Both this layer and the underlying burnt-mound material formed the upper levels of the western side of this trough.
The third identifiable trough was directly south of Trough 2, truncating its southern extent; this was the largest of the three, measuring 2.51m north–south by 1.26m. Like Trough 2, this pit was cut into impermeable clay, with stake-holes both east and west of it, which may have formed part of a possible superstructure overlying this feature. A drainage feature appears also to have been associated with this pit, possibly as an additional means of getting water into the trough.
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