2011:598 - BALLYCARNANE, TRAMORE, Waterford

Topsoil-stripping in advance of the construction of a new school revealed five areas of archaeological activity. The site had been previously tested by Annette Quin (Tobar Archaeological Services), indicating the presence of burnt stone deposits (Excavations 2010, no. 646, 10E0014). The site was in a greenfield area within Tramore town, on a gradual south-south-east-facing slope with limited views of the sea to the south-east.
At least four phases of activity were identified, with fulachta fiadh and burnt stone spreads dating from the Early, Middle, Middle–Late and Late Bronze Age. These are described in chronological order.
Area D consisted of a single subcircular pit filled with burnt stone material. The pit measured 1.6m by 1.5m and was 0.5m deep. It was radiocarbon-dated to 2139–1977 cal. BC (UBA-18286), placing the activity in the Early Bronze Age.
Middle Bronze Age activity was seen in Area B, where an oval pit measuring 2.2m by 0.9m and 0.45m deep was filled with burnt stone material and overlain by a spread of burnt stone. It was dated to 1665–1519 cal. BC (UBA-18288).
The excavation of Area C revealed a spread of burnt stone material, a small depression and a large subrectangular pit or trough. The pit measured 2.2m by 1.1m and was 0.5m deep. A series of fills included burnt stone material that was radiocarbon-dated to 1374–1057 cal. BC (UBA-18285), giving a range from the latter half of the Middle Bronze Age to the start of the Late Bronze Age. The adjacent burnt stone spread was presumably related.
Late Bronze Age activity was excavated in Areas A and B.
Area A contained a large pit or well, a number of stake-holes and a rectangular trough that showed evidence of a degraded timber lining. The trough measured 1.51m by 1.2m and was 0.4mTopsoil-stripping in advance of the construction of a new school revealed five areas of archaeological activity. The site had been previously tested by Annette Quin (Tobar Archaeological Services), indicating the presence of burnt stone deposits (Excavations 2010, no. 646, 10E0014). The site was in a greenfield area within Tramore town, on a gradual south-south-east-facing slope with limited views of the sea to the south-east.
At least four phases of activity were identified, with fulachta fiadh and burnt stone spreads dating from the Early, Middle, Middle–Late and Late Bronze Age. These are described in chronological order.
Area D consisted of a single subcircular pit filled with burnt stone material. The pit measured 1.6m by 1.5m and was 0.5m deep. It was radiocarbon-dated to 2139–1977 cal. BC (UBA-18286), placing the activity in the Early Bronze Age.
Middle Bronze Age activity was seen in Area B, where an oval pit measuring 2.2m by 0.9m and 0.45m deep was filled with burnt stone material and overlain by a spread of burnt stone. It was dated to 1665–1519 cal. BC (UBA-18288).
The excavation of Area C revealed a spread of burnt stone material, a small depression and a large subrectangular pit or trough. The pit measured 2.2m by 1.1m and was 0.5m deep. A series of fills included burnt stone material that was radiocarbon-dated to 1374–1057 cal. BC (UBA-18285), giving a range from the latter half of the Middle Bronze Age to the start of the Late Bronze Age. The adjacent burnt stone spread was presumably related.
Late Bronze Age activity was excavated in Areas A and B.
Area A contained a large pit or well, a number of stake-holes and a rectangular trough that showed evidence of a degraded timber lining. The trough measured 1.51m by 1.2m and was 0.4m deep, with vertical sides and a flat base. The cut features were overlain by a spread of blackish-grey silty clay with inclusions of burnt stones and charcoal-burnt stone, measuring 13.4m by 11.8m and up to 0.1m thick. A sample of charcoal adhering to the timber lining was radiocarbon-dated to 1123–937 cal. BC (UBA-18289).
Area B contained the most substantial remains. In addition to the Middle Bronze Age pit and burnt stone spread were seven pits, three troughs, two post-holes, twelve stake-holes and a channel, some of which were overlain by a mound of burnt stone material measuring 27.2m by 15.3m and 0.4m deep. These features were cut into the underlying natural geological deposits, in some cases into bedrock. One of the troughs contained a rectangular arrangement of stake-holes that presumably represented timber or wattle lining. This trough was radiocarbon-dated to 1107–918 cal. BC (UBA-18287). Some of the pits were very large, up to 5.4m across, and others contained large pieces of unburnt sandstone, possibly evidence of the last use of the fulacht fiadh before it was abandoned. A broken sandstone rubbing stone was also recovered. An undated hearth in adjacent Area E was presumably related.
The charcoal evidence reveals that throughout the Bronze Age the people using the site had access to both an alder-carr fen woodland and a drier oak–ash woodland. The four phases of use of the site span up to 1,200 years, from the Early to the Late Bronze Age. There is no suggestion that there was continuity of use and it would appear that the hillside was used for the same purpose repeatedly because it was an accessible location containing the necessary resources of water, stone and timber.

TVAS (Ireland) Ltd, Ahish, Ballinruan, Crusheen, Co. Clare