County: Cavan Site name: Ballytrust 2
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 16E0528
Author: Derek Gallagher
Site type: Fulacht fiadh
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 636504m, N 793674m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.891188, -7.444675
An archaeological excavation was carried out at Ballytrust 2 in October 2016, in advance of the proposed N55 Road Realignment Scheme, Co. Cavan. The site was previously identified during archaeological testing Stage (i) of the proposed route undertaken by ACSU in August 2016. A ploughed-out burnt stone spread (C03) was identified and measured 10.5m north-south by 7.5m with a maximum thickness of 0.25m. The spread was located on a natural rise in the ground surrounded on three sides by lower-lying wetland. The current N55 is a raised road immediately to the east of the site.
Upon removal of the burnt spread C03, a trough (C04) and four pits (C16, C9, C13 and C15) were exposed. The trough C04 measured 2m x 1.3m and had a depth of 0.6m. It contained two fills, C08 and C07. A shallow pit (C16) was identified immediately to the north of the trough C04 and two other pits (C09 & C13) were located c. 2m to the south of the trough C04. A large charcoal-rich deposit (C05) covered the two pits C09 and C13. The fourth pit (C15) was cut into the fill of pit C13 and deposit C05.
A sample of charcoal recovered from the basal fill of the trough C04 was examined, identified as hazel and recommended for radiocarbon dating. The sample contained 0.3g of charcoal and returned a date of 2456-2142 cal BC (3820 +/- 35 BP) indicating the trough was in use during the Early Bronze Age. A second sample recovered from the charcoal spread C05 was also identified as hazel. This sample contained 0.2g of charcoal and returned a date of 2471-2214 cal BC (3885 +/- 35) indicating a broadly contemporary date.
The charcoal identified at this site was most likely used as firewood. Oak and hazel dominated at the burnt mound spread, trough and pits. Alder was less frequently identified and was only present in the burnt mound spreads. Archaeobotanical analysis of samples from the site produced an extremely impoverished assemblage of plant macro remains with only one specimen identified, namely a single seed of a Brassica-type species (cabbage family). No finds were recovered from the archaeological features at this site.
Four fulachtaí fiadh have been excavated as part of this scheme and include Ballytrust 1 located 114m to the north-west and further north-east along the scheme, Garrymore 2 and Garrymore 3. Similar Early Bronze Age dates (2203 -2033 cal BC, 2458 – 2199 cal BC and 2136 – 1921 cal BC) were returned for Ballytrust 1 suggesting activity in this townland, where the natural resources in the landscape were utilised.
Archaeological Consultancy Services Unit, Unit 21 Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth
