County: Wicklow Site name: Ballynagran
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 08E0810
Author: Gearóid Kelleher, The Archaeology Company Ltd, Hamilton House, Emmet Street, Birr, Co. Offaly.
Site type: Prehistoric
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 726255m, N 692089m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.964693, -6.120543
Excavation took place in September 2008 of features identified during an earlier monitoring phase at Ballynagran, Coolbeg Cross. It is proposed to proceed with the second phase of expansion of the Ballynagran landfill.
Prior to full excavation an area of 750m2 was mechanically stripped of topsoil. Following initial site clean-down c. 70 possible features were identified: 30 of these contexts were resolved as components of archaeological features; 15 resulted from post-medieval agricultural activity; 35 remaining features had resulted from natural processes of root action and bioturbation.
Following excavation, the 30 features identified may be categorised as eight pit features of varying complexity; twelve post-holes; six stake-holes; three slot-trenches and one charcoal spread. The defining characteristics of the features suggest that they may represent an extension of the Bronze and Iron Age structures identified by Frazer and Eriksson during the Phase 1 expansion of the landfill in 2004.
Further works are under way in order to identify material and the features retrieved during the excavation.
