County: Wexford Site name: Camlin 4
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E004101
Author: Liam Hackett, Headland Archaeology (Ireland) Ltd, Unit 1, Wallingstown Business Park, Little Island, Cork.
Site type: Unenclosed flat cremation cemetery
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 671250m, N 624167m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.364441, -6.953818
Excavations at Camlin 4 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 Camlin 4 revealed the remains of an unenclosed flat cemetery, with three phases of activity identified. The earliest phase was represented by three possible token cremation burials. These were circular to kidney-shaped in plan and averaged 0.5m by 0.45m by 0.23m deep. Their fills contained frequent inclusions of charcoal and cremated human bone.
Two post-holes and a stake-hole were also part of the Phase 1 activities. The stake-hole was slightly oval in plan and measured 0.14m by 0.12m by 0.12m deep. The post-holes measured between 0.25m by 0.21m by 0.35m and 0.3m by 0.23m by 0.32m and were subcircular to oval in plan. The fills of these features contained occasional charcoal flecking throughout.
The second phase of activity involved the possible importation and laying down of a mid-red/brown silty sand spread over the Phase 1 activities described above. This spread was irregular in plan and contained charcoal and flecks of cremated human bone within the soil matrix. It measured approximately 14m (north-east/south-west) by 11m and varied in depth from 0.01m to 0.15m.
The final phase of activity was represented by at least 36 possible token cremation burials, one of which was contained within an inverted urn. These burials averaged 0.37m in length by 0.33m in width by 0.14m in depth and contained varying quantities of charcoal, stones and cremated human-bone inclusions.
A shallow oval deposit containing charcoal and stones, which measured 0.45m by 0.22m by 0.01m deep, was also identified in this phase of activity, as was a sub-oval pit, measuring 1.2m by 0.8m by 0.22m deep. This contained charcoal flecks and tiny fragments of cremated human bone within the soil matrix.
A number of features at the site had no stratigraphic relationship with the phased activity described above. These included a small spread, a possible post-hole and five pits. The spread was orientated in an east–west direction and measured 0.38m by 0.29m by 0.06m deep. It comprised a red/brown silty clay with charcoal and stone inclusions. The possible post-hole was irregular in plan, measuring 0.6m (north–south) by 0.5m by 0.4m deep. Its fill also contained charcoal and stone inclusions. The pits ranged in size from 0.35m in diameter to 2.1m by 1.05m, with varying depths of 0.17–0.35m; they were oval to circular in plan and contained charcoal and stones throughout their soil matrices.
Post-medieval activity was also evident at Camlin 4 in the form of seven plough furrows.
