County: Tipperary Site name: Bansha
Sites and Monuments Record No.: TS067–101 Licence number: 07E0567
Author: Mary Henry, Mary Henry Archaeological Services Ltd, 17 Staunton Row, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.
Site type: Urban
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 595629m, N 632976m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.448237, -8.064296
Test-trenching was undertaken on the site of a housing scheme in the village of Bansha. The site is within the south-western part of the zone of potential for Bansha, with the ruined castle c. 90m to its north-west.
Eight trenches were cut on the site revealing 21 features. No dating evidence was found, apart from within two features. Surprisingly, no evidence of ploughing was found in any of the trenches and pottery of any period was extremely scarce, with only post-medieval and modern ceramics identified.
Feature typology was as follows: seven were ditches; four were burnt spreads with another consisting of a burnt-stone and charcoal cluster. Three pits and three post-/stake-holes were also discovered. Evidence of charcoal and burning was prevalent across the site. Investigation of an oval cut yielded three pieces of clay pipe, also suggesting a modern provenance.
Three of the ditches were aligned north-east/south-west, one was aligned north-west/south-east, with three others extending east–west. It is probable the east–west-aligned ditches are part of the same feature, although it does appear to widen as it extends eastwards. If so, its dimensions alone make it a considerable ditch requiring a great deal of labour to construct. Unfortunately, no dating evidence was found, although, if associated with Bansha House and Cromwellian activity, some physical material, as in clay-pipe pieces and pottery, would have been expected to be found.
The main concentration of features was in two trenches. Whilst sectioning two of them, small fragments of burnt human bone was encountered in the lower part of the fill and it was decided to stop further investigation. These features are in close proximity to the possible post-holes, stake-hole and burnt-stone cluster, as well as near to the two grass-covered mounds present within the development site and identified by the assessment.
Due to the fact the human bone is fragmented and burnt, it is probable it may be associated with cremation practices. If this is correct, it is considered they are of pre-Christian origin and may be of Bronze Age date.
