County: Wicklow Site name: Ballynapark
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A022/034, E3219
Author: Ellen O’Carroll, Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, 8 Dungar Terrace, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.
Site type: Prehistoric cremation pit and undiagnostic pits
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 727755m, N 682878m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.881599, -6.101856
This excavation was undertaken on behalf of Wicklow County Council and the National Roads Authority in advance of the construction of the N11 Rathnew to Arklow road improvement motorway scheme.
Three pit-like features were excavated at this site. One of the pits, which was perfectly circular in shape (0.45m by 0.45m) and measured 0.16m in depth, resembled a cremation pit. The pit contained a small amount of burnt bone and charcoal flecks. The cremation pit is probably related to the funerary rites of the Bronze Age peoples who were interacting with the surrounding landscape, as evidenced from the many fulachta fiadh excavated in the area.
The remaining two pits excavated measured 0.74m by 0.74m in maximum diameter and 0.27m in maximum depth. They were both similar in form and fill type, being filled with moderately loose brownish-black sandy clay that had frequent inclusions of charcoal and occasional irregular pebbles and hard yellow/brown fill of sandy clay. The function of these pits is unknown, although a previous interpretation as charcoal-production pits is unlikely, due to the quantity of charcoal uncovered from the pits.
It is hoped that post-excavation analysis and dating will aid in the interpretation of these pits.
