County: Wexford Site name: Arnestown 2
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E004111
Author: Liam Hackett, Headland Archaeology (Ireland) Ltd, Unit 1, Wallingstown Business Park, Little Island, Cork.
Site type: Burnt mound and associated features
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 673978m, N 625694m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.377808, -6.913442
Excavations at Arnestown 2 were undertaken on behalf of Wexford County Council as part of the Stage (iii) archaeological services contract prior to the construction of the N25 New Ross bypass road scheme. The archaeological features identified were divided into five main areas of activity (Areas A–E) and produced evidence for activity associated with burnt-mound technology.
Area A
Excavation at Area A revealed a large rectangular trough measuring 1.8m long (north–south), 0.9m wide and 0.37m deep. Its fills contained frequent amounts of charcoal and heat-affected stone associated with an overlying burnt spread, the latter measuring 5.2m in length (north-east/south-west) by 3m in width by 0.17m in depth. A post-medieval drain truncated this activity.
Area B
Excavation at Area B revealed two pits of possible prehistoric date. The first was subcircular in plan and measured 1.43m in length (north-east/south-west), 1.11m in width and 0.25m in depth. The second measured 0.63m (east–west) by 0.42m by 0.15m deep and was sub-oval in plan. A piece of struck chert was recovered from its fill.
Area C
No features of archaeological significance were identified at Area C.
Area D
Excavation at Area D revealed a large sub-square-shaped trough measuring 1.3m in length, 1.3m in width and 0.31m in depth; its fills contained frequent amounts of charcoal and heat-affected stone. This feature was truncated by a machine-cut drainage ditch.
Area E
Excavation at Area E revealed three intercutting troughs which contained charcoal and heat-affected stone. They measured 1.2m to 1.5m in length, 0.9m in width and between 0.15m to 0.2m in depth and had been truncated by the recutting of a possible field boundary.
A burnt spread composed of numerous deposits containing heat-affected stone and charcoal overlaid the troughs. It was generally orientated in a north–south direction and measured approximately 4m in length, 3m in width and 0.08m in depth. It had been truncated by a possible field boundary and a drainage ditch.
Two pits were also identified in Area E. Both were subcircular in plan and contained charcoal and heat-affected stones. The first measured 0.82m by 0.41m by 0.25m deep, while the second measured 1.32m in length, 1.26m in width and 0.18m in depth.
