County: Wicklow Site name: BALLYCLOGH NORTH
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E004053
Author: Gill McLoughlin, Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, 120B Greenpark Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow.
Site type: Burnt mound
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 727799m, N 684256m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.893973, -6.100662
A burnt mound and associated features were excavated at Ballyclogh North, Co. Wicklow, between 3 and 25 November 2009 as part of the N11 Rathnew–Arklow road improvement scheme. This site was located in an area that was previously inaccessible during the main bulk of excavations that were carried out on the scheme in 2006.
Three areas containing archaeology were identified during testing carried out in September 2009. The main feature on the site was a small burnt mound in Area A, measuring 8.75m by 9m by 0.45m deep, which was situated adjacent to a stream. A large sub-oval trough, measuring 3.33m by 2m by 0.5m, and a number of smaller pits were sealed beneath the burnt mound and in its immediate vicinity. Two of the pits contained a large quantity of flint debitage, most of which was burnt. One circular pit sealed by the burnt mound contained a construction of stones which had been specifically placed to form a level surface which could be interpreted as a table or working platform. A flat stone found sitting on the edge of the pit could have functioned as a seat for the working platform. A large quantity of burnt flint debitage was recovered from the fill of this pit.
In Area B there were two small deposits of dark soil with heat-affected stones (7m by 3.5m by 0.1m and 3m by 2.9m by 0.14m) and a hearth with associated post-holes. A large quantity of unburnt flint debitage and cores was also recovered from surface cleaning in Area B.
In Area C a small spread of charcoal-rich soil was excavated.
