County: Wexford Site name: Ballyorril 4
Sites and Monuments Record No.: n/a Licence number: E004833
Author: Yvonne Whitty, IAC
Site type: Pits, hearth, burnt spreads, post-medieval ditches
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 695972m, N 642525m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.525626, -6.585667
Ballyorril 4 was identified as a result of archaeological testing undertaken during the construction phase of the M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy PPP Scheme. Testing was carried out in Permanent Fill Area 4 (PFA 4) by IAC Ltd under Registration No. E004781 and Ministerial Direction No. A054 in October 2016. Ballyorril 4 comprised four areas of archaeological potential from which 17 pits, 31 stake-holes, 3 post-holes, 4 ditches, a burnt mound, a trough and hearth or kiln feature were excavated.
Area 1 consisted of a single pit, containing prehistoric pottery, a shallow post-hole and a shallow depression with archaeological deposits.
Area 2 comprised four pits (two of which contained prehistoric pottery) of varying morphology, two post-holes isolated in the south-east corner, three ditches (one a modern drainage ditch) and a hearth or kiln feature noted for in-situ burning and containing prehistoric pottery within its deposits. The ditches coincide with field boundary features depicted on the historic mapping.
Area 3 to the south consisted of six pits of varying morphology including a linear charcoal-production pit and a possible pit re-cut by an oval pit. One of the pits, which was irregular in shape contained two deposits which each contained six sherds of possible prehistoric pottery. The pit was associated with six stake-holes, one of which was cut into its base. A post-hole, truncated by an east-west running ditch, was close by to the south. This ditch coincides with a field boundary depicted on the historic Ordnance Survey mapping for the area.
Area 4 comprised the burnt mound which sealed four pits, eleven stake-holes, a trough and one other pit, not sealed by the burnt mound. All the pits and the trough in this area contained charcoal-rich fills and heat-shattered stone relating the activity to that of the burnt mound. There were 14 stake-holes in the base of the trough. These stake-holes may have held a lining, perhaps of timber or wattle, in place. Those stake-holes neighbouring the trough may represent a small structure.
A total of 62 artefacts were recovered during the excavation at Ballyorril 4, consisting 58 sherds of possible prehistoric pottery, two pieces of flint, a stone cube and a piece of cylindrical-shaped metal.
IAC Ltd, Unit G1, Network Enterprise Park, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow
