County: Wicklow Site name: BALLYNABARNY (Sites 8 and 9)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E0547
Author: Audrey Gahan, Gahan & Long Ltd.
Site type: House - prehistoric, Hearth, Ring-ditch and Structure
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 728239m, N 694117m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.982444, -6.090230
This site was uncovered during monitoring along the line of the proposed N11 motorway. It consisted of a series of features spread over an area of c. 80m by 40m, all of which were cut into the subsoil. The site lay along a high, flat ridge and on the north-facing slope of a long drumlin.
Numerous small pits, post-holes and stake-holes were identified across the site, none of which appeared to have any direct relationship with each other. However, artefacts associated with these features indicated that most were Bronze Age.
In addition, a house structure, several ring-ditches and a second structure were identified, as were the remains of several large hearths.
The house structure measured c. 10m in diameter and consisted of a subcircular slot, packed in parts with small and medium-sized stones and containing the remains of several small stake-holes. In the structure itself, the remains of post-holes and several small pits were identified. There was a possible entrance in the south-east. Artefacts recovered from the fills of several of the internal features and from the slot identify this as a probable Bronze Age house.
Approximately 2m north-east of the house structure the remains of several ring-ditches were identified. The smallest was subcircular and contained the remains of a large pit. It measured 3.2m in diameter. It was cut on its eastern side by a larger ditch. This larger, penannular ditch enclosed an area of c. 5.8m2; it had an opening in the south-west and contained the remains of a possible barrow. The internal feature was a smaller penannular ditch, enclosing an area of c. 3m2, which was also open on its south-west side. In this feature the ground had been deliberately truncated, to create a bowl or saucer shape. A number of stake- and post-holes were identified cut into the base of this feature, which had subsequently been backfilled. It is possible that these features are the remains of a barrow.
The third main feature identified on the site was the remains of a possible structure. This consisted of three slot-trenches with corner posts. The structure, which was subrectangular, appeared to have been deliberately left open on the fourth side. The structure had a maximum length of 6m and contained several large pits and post-holes, many of which were capped by a charcoal-rich soil containing moderate to abundant quantities of burnt bone. Relatively large amounts of Bronze Age pottery were also recovered from within the structure, the function of which is currently unclear.
105 Allen Park Road, Stillorgan, Co. Dublin
