2007:AD10 - BALLYNACARRIGA (3), Cork

Phase 2 excavation works were undertaken, on behalf of Cork County Council, along the route of the N8 Fermoy–Mitchelstown bypass. The proposed bypass involves the construction of c. 16km of dual carriageway extending from Gortore north of Fermoy to Carrigane north-east of Mitchelstown. A programme of advance testing (Phase 1) had been carried out in October 2005, the results of which appeared in Excavations 2005.

The site at Ballynacarriga 3 was located on relatively level ground that had a panoramic vista in all directions. Excavation revealed a multi-period site with several phases of activity: pits with Neolithic pottery, pits with Beaker pottery, an enclosure that appears to surround the Beaker pits, two Early Bronze Age barrows (Barrow 1 and Barrow 2) with associated cists and pit burials and post-medieval linear features.

Neolithic pits
There were a small number of sherds of middle Neolithic decorated pottery, including one from a broad-rimmed bowl. This pottery dates to the period c. 3600–3300 cal BC. A fragment from towards the base of a decorated stone bowl came from the same area as the middle Neolithic pottery. The feature that this piece came from had a distinctive morphology, being a vertically sided deep pit. There were four or five of these and they were interpreted as being Neolithic in date.

Enclosure and Beaker pits
A selection of pits and post-holes associated with Beaker pottery was found within a rectangular enclosure. The enclosure was defined by a narrow ditch. No extant bank was recorded. There are several concentrations of activity within the southern half of the enclosure. The concentrations represent the remains of at least six possible structures, three circular and three rectangular.

Structure 1 comprised an arc of thirteen post-holes and pits. At least 84 sherds of pottery were recovered from the fills of one of the pits and fifteen fragments of flint from the fills of another. A small pit was enclosed within the arc. The fills included pottery and cremated bone. A group of pits and post-holes were located to the south of the structure.

Structure 2 was located to the north-east of Structure 1. It comprised an arc of eleven post-holes and pits. A group of thirteen post- and stake-holes were centrally located within the structure. Cremated bone was recovered from the fills of one. Three pits were located to the south of the structure.

Structure 3 was located to the west of Structure 2. No definite arc can be discerned but there is a concentration of at least 32 pits, post- and stake-holes. A further nine features were located to the north of the structure.

Structure 4 was located to the south of Structure 1. It was rectangular in plan and was aligned north–south. It comprised a linear slot and a number of post- and stake-holes. Three pits are located between Structures 4 and 5. Most of the cut features contained at least one sherd of pottery but about half the assemblage was recovered from the fill of one pit (C.348) that was located close to the southern ditch of the enclosure.

Structure 5 was located to the east of Structure 4. It was rectangular in plan and was aligned north–south. It comprised a number of post-holes and pits.

Structure 6 was located to the east of Structure 5. It was rectangular in plan and was aligned east–west. It comprised a number of linear slot-trenches, post-holes and pits. A number of pits and post-holes were located in the interior of the structure. Two pits were located to the east of the structure.

There are a number of features in the northern portion of the enclosure. They do not form any discernible pattern.

Features outside the area of the enclosure
To the north-west of the enclosure a hearth and a group of six post-holes were excavated. Nine post-holes were located c. 30m to the north.

Pits with fire-cracked stones
A group of pits were located to the east of the enclosure. Some of the fills included fire-cracked stones and charcoal-enriched soils.

Pits to the south of the enclosure
An arc of six post-holes was located to the south of the enclosure. They could form a structure.

Bronze Age barrows/ring-ditches and cists
Two barrows were excavated, which were associated with a group of cists. These were all found at the southern part of the site.

Barrow 1 (C.2053) was defined by a large penannular ring-ditch which was found at the south-eastern part of the site. No extant mound was found. The circumference of the ditch was 25.5m and it was 1.81m wide and 0.84m deep. A pit found at the centre of the barrow contained two ceramic vessels, a large encrusted urn and a smaller decorated food vessel. The urn contained cremated bone. The barrow/ring-ditch also enclosed a sub-oval pit containing a dense layer of charcoal. Given its location, this feature may have been associated with the funerary process or burial rite.

Barrow 2 (C.2001) was smaller than Barrow 1 and was found to its west. The ditch was 0.76m wide and 0.35m deep. There was no evidence to indicate that this surrounded a burial but there was a possible hearth at the centre of the barrow/ring-ditch.

Situated between the two barrows and to their north there was a group of ten cist-like pits. The morphology of these varied from simple pits to stone-lined and capped rectilinear pits associated with some pottery sherds.