2010:720 - Berkeley 3, Wexford

Excavations at Berkeley 3 were undertaken on behalf of Wexford County Council as part of the Stage (iii) archaeological services contract prior to the commencement of construction of the N25 New Ross bypass road scheme.
Excavation at Berkeley 3 revealed the remains of an unenclosed flat cemetery, with three phases of activity identified. The earliest phase was represented by at least three possible token cremation burials. These ranged in size from 0.37m by 0.35m by 0.21m deep to 0.69m by 0.51m by 0.23m deep. They were subcircular to sub-oval in plan and contained deposits of silty clays and sands with inclusions of charcoal and cremated human bone.
Two possible post-holes, a series of seven stake-holes and a linear feature were also part of the Phase 1 activities. The post-holes were circular to subcircular in plan and averaged 0.15m in length, 0.14m in width and 0.12m in depth. The stake-holes ran in an east–west direction and were mainly circular in plan. They varied between 0.05m to 0.21m in diameter and 0.07m to 0.13m in depth but were on average 0.09m by 0.1m deep. Their fills comprised silty sands with very occasional flecks of charcoal. The linear feature was orientated north-west/south-east and measured 4m by 0.65m by 0.2m deep. Its fills varied from silty and clayey sands to clayey silts and contained charcoal flecks and small to large stones.
The second phase of activity involved the possible importation and laying down of a spread of mid-red/brown silty clay. This was irregular in plan, covering the Phase 1 activity, and measured approximately 16m (east–west) by 9m with a maximum depth of 0.15m. It was possibly laid down in a ritual or symbolic act, and may have derived from the area of the cremation-pyre activity.
The final phase of activity was represented by at least seventeen possible token cremation burials and a post-hole. The post-hole was slightly subcircular in plan, measuring 0.18m (north–south) by 0.2m by 0.13m deep. Its fill contained occasional charcoal flecks throughout. The burials were mainly subcircular or oval in plan, with average dimensions of 0.4m by 0.36m by 0.15m deep. Their fills varied in composition from silty clays to sandy silts with inclusions of charcoal, cremated human remains and stones recorded.
A number of features at the site had no stratigraphic relationship with the phased activity described above. These included five possible token cremation burials, which were subcircular in plan. They measured between 0.31m by 0.36m by 0.09m deep and 0.48m by 0.42m by 0.24m deep and contained charcoal, fragments of cremated human bone and stone inclusions within their fills.
A linear feature, four pits and three stake-holes also remain unphased. The linear feature was oriented north–south and measured 1.4m by 0.25m by 0.13m deep. The pits were all circular to oval in plan, averaging 0.67m in length, 0.55m in width and 0.16m in depth, while the stake-holes were circular to subcircular in plan with average dimensions of 0.12m in diameter and 0.11m deep.