2007:431 - BALLYNAKELLY/RATHCREEDAN, Dublin

An excavation was carried out in Ballynakelly, Newcastle, Co. Dublin, during summer 2007 in advance of a hotel development. The development spanned a wide topographic range, from a ridge top that affords extensive views of the Liffey plain and the Dublin Mountains and carries the boundary between Ballynakelly and Rathcreedan townlands down its gentle north-facing slopes to a broad, flat plain at their foot. Archaeological features were seen to extend across this range, with seven noticeable concentrations (Areas A–F and the medieval features to the west) and a scattering of features in between.

Prehistoric activity
Prehistoric activity was identified throughout the development, with the main concentration on the higher ground in the south-east. The prehistoric activity on the site was generally focused on burial or funerary activity (Areas A and D). A fine 7m-wide ring-ditch, an urn burial, three pits containing cremation burials and several other possible cremation pits were recorded. Two of the cremation burials were located on the lower ground in the west of the development, while the remainder were located on the higher ground of the ridge along a rough north–south axis extending north from the ring-ditch, showing a clear preference for burial in elevated areas.

A fragmented Middle Bronze Age urn was recovered from a cremation pit. A saddle quern was also recovered from a pit located in close proximity to the ring-ditch.

As well as the burial activity, an enormous pit or well of probable Bronze Age date was also excavated in the level ground to the north of the ridge (Area E). A number of earth-cut troughs filled with burnt stone were identified in its vicinity. The pit was extraordinarily large, measuring 10m by 16m, by 2.8m in depth. The eastern side sloped gradually down to the base, allowing access into and out of the pit. The pit was filled initially with layers of silty clay. Above this was a layer of burnt stone. It is likely that the burnt stone represents waste cleared from the smaller pits on the upper slope and from the surrounding area. Once the dumping of heated stone in and around the large pit had ceased, a thick layer of organic-rich silt began to build up, thick with wood and timber of a range of sizes. It is in this context that an exceptionally well-preserved Middle Bronze Age palstave and numerous enigmatic bundles of straw were deposited. The palstave and the bundles of straw appear to have been deliberately and consciously deposited at a time after the water-heating activity had ceased.

The pit may have acted as a well, as it was constructed to be easily accessible and it would have provided a constant source of water. Alternatively, the pit may have acted as a pool, filling naturally with water from the spring evident on the eastern edge. The number of earth-cut troughs identified in the pit’s vicinity and the large quantities of burnt stone recovered from it suggest that attempts had been made to heat the water it contained, perhaps for bathing.

The early medieval period
The early medieval period is represented by a possible settlement site (Area F) and potentially by three linear ditches truncating the Bronze Age activity in Area E. A series of linear features and pits representing a number of phases of activity was visible, along with three linear ditches. Several metal artefacts were recovered from the site, including a fragmented stick-pin from a gully and a partial metal ring from a second gully. A stone loom weight was also recovered from a gully where it was cut by a modern drain. A broken whetstone and a fragmented metal nail were recovered from a pit filled with large stones. A very unusual metal pot with a long metal handle was found in a shallow linear feature in the north of the site. The features identified in Area F represent a narrow transect through a more extensive early medieval site. The artefacts recovered and the presence of a moderate amount of animal bone and burnt bone suggest that the features have a domestic function. Area F was identified on an access road that was a mere 4.5m wide, making interpretation of the overall site quite difficult. The features were visible along a 45m stretch of the access road.

The medieval period
The site of the proposed development lies c. 1km to the south-east of the historic centre of Newcastle village (DU020–003, DU021–017). The village of Newcastle and its surroundings exhibit a range of archaeological sites dating to the medieval period. Several sherds of medieval pottery were recovered from the topsoil during the monitoring programme and from the surface of the subsoil during the excavation. Two sherds of medieval pottery, including a fragment of a green-glazed strap-handle, were recovered from the top fill of the large Bronze Age pit, suggesting that the pit was still visible (possibly as a shallow depression) during the medieval period. A possible corn-drying kiln and two ditches (Area C) were identified in the centre of the development on a north-west-facing slope. A metal nail was recovered from the ditch. Although it is possible that these features date to the Early Christian period and are related to the settlement site (Area F), it is also possible that they date to the medieval period. Four post-holes, a spread and two linear trenches were identified in the extreme west of the development on an access road, and medieval pottery was recovered from all of the features. The presence of medieval pottery throughout the site and the nature of the features identified suggest at least a low level of agricultural activity being carried out in the possibly open fields beyond the well-defined burgage plots of Newcastle village during the medieval period.

32 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2