2004:1848 - BALLYHURTIM, Wicklow

Testing took place on 8 and 9 November 2004 at a number of sites of archaeological potential in the townland of Ballyhurtim, on land acquired by Kilsaran Concrete Ltd, with a view to the development of a gravel quarry. In February 2003 an assessment of the proposed quarry development was carried out by Markus Casey. Seven areas of potential were defined and targeted for testing (Sites 1–7).

Site 1 was defined as a circular earthen bank, c. 20m in diameter, standing 1m high, resembling the remains of an earthwork, possibly a small rath or barrow. Site 2 was a smaller rectangular depression immediately east of Site 1. Site 3 was described as a circular area of different coloured vegetation but was outside the limits of the land acquired by Kilsaran Concrete Ltd and was not tested. Site 4 was described as a very indistinct circular area, 15m in diameter, which was visible from the air but could not be found at ground level. Site 5 was similar to Site 4. Site 6 was identified as a circular enclosure, 25m in diameter, that was clearly visible from the air and indistinct but visible in wintertime at ground level. The feature was defined by a shallow 1m-wide depression, suggesting a levelled enclosure. Site 7 was the remains of an old trackway, possibly one used to gain access to a now dismantled railway line at the northern end of Ballyhurtim townland.

One cutting was excavated at each of the sites, with the exception of Site 6, a possible levelled ringfort, where two cuttings were excavated. The only upstanding site was Site 1, an enclosure-type feature. Testing was designed to establish if the structure was built in antiquity or if it is of recent origin. Site 2, a disturbed area cordoned off by fencing, and Site 7, an old trackway, were both visible on the ground when testing took place, but Sites 4, 5 and 6 had no surface expression of any kind. Mechanical excavation was carried out by a JCB-class excavator fitted with a 1.4m-wide flat-edged ditching bucket.

Site 1 was a low, flat-topped, subcircular mound measuring c. 21m (north-south) by 19.5m. The cutting was located in the north-eastern quadrant of the feature, aligned north-north-east/south-southwest, extending from the heart of the mound to beyond its outer edge. The cutting measured 11.2m long by 1.5m wide by up to 1.75m deep. Excavation revealed the mound to consist of a deposit of grey/brown topsoil, up to 1.4m deep, stratified on the surface of a layer of grey silty clay and gravel up to 0.5m deep. The grey silty clay layer was stratified on the surface of the natural clay, which consisted of compact mid-brown silty clay. Topsoil and the underlying grey silty clay were sterile deposits that contained no artefacts. Excavation at the southern end of the cutting revealed a substantial amount of organic material stratified on the grey sediment and underlying the topsoil. The organic matter was up to 0.48m deep and appeared to be horse manure and it was evident that the core of the mound was composed of this material. This deposit contained two pieces of plastic binding twine, at a depth of 0.85–0.9m below the surface of the mound.

Site 2 was located c. 17m east of Site 1. It consisted of a small area where two trial holes had been excavated but never properly backfilled, enclosed by a degraded post and wire fence. A single cutting was excavated here, aligned north-east/south-west, measuring 10m long by 1.5m wide by up to 0.55m deep. The stratigraphy consisted of fine grey/brown topsoil over pale-grey/brown silty clay subsoil. There were no features, deposits or artefacts of archaeologicalsignificance. No material of archaeological significance was found at Sites 4, 5 and 6.

Site 7 was the most northerly area to be investigated. The testing focused on a pathway located on relatively low-lying ground perpendicular to a now dismantled railway line. The trackway is a linear depression in the field, aligned northwest/south-east, measuring up to 2m in width at the railway end. The feature fades out c. 30m from the railway, near the base of a prominent ridge extending north-east/south-west across the width of the field. The test cutting was placed longitudinally within the limits of the trackway, commencing a distance of 6m from the railway line fence. The cutting measured 10m long by 1.5m wide by up to 0.5m deep. The stratigraphy consisted of fine grey/brown topsoil over pale-grey clay and gravel. A cultivation furrow filled with topsoil extended along the middle of the cutting. This feature was 30m wide by up to 0.05m deep. There were no features, deposits or artefacts of archaeological significance.

The testing of a number of sites of archaeological potential in Ballyhurtim townland failed to uncover any material of archaeological significance.