2017:671 - Ballinahinch 3, Ashford, Wicklow

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Wicklow Site name: Ballinahinch 3, Ashford

Sites and Monuments Record No.: n/a Licence number: 17E0557

Author: Liam Coen c/o Archer Heritage Planning

Site type: Bronze Age settlement

Period/Dating:

ITM: E 726398m, N 697735m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.015372, -6.116217

The site at Ballinahinch 3 was located on a south-facing slope, overlooking the Vartry River, within 5km of the Irish Sea coastline and was excavated in advance of residential development. It was discovered following a geophysical survey (licence no. 17R0073) and a test-excavation (licence no. 17E0195). Excavation, in an irregularly-shaped cutting maximum dimensions 40m x 28m, revealed a possible house structure delineated by a series of slot trenches. This formed a rough semi-circular outline with an internal diameter of c. 10m. Centred within this, a charcoal-rich hearth deposit overlay an oxidised patch of clay and several stake- and post-hole features. A distinct gap in the south-east between the slot trenches demarcated by a post-hole in one slot trench and possible post-holes in an adjacent slot trench may indicate the location of the doorway. Some post-holes within the slot-trench alignment may signify a possible internal post-ring.
A total of 14 lithic pieces were retrieved from a variety of features including a convex end scraper, flakes, blades and cores. The site produced a very small assemblage of middle to late Bronze Age domestic pottery consisting of three sherds (plus a single fragment and 10 crumbs, total weight: 26g). This appears to represent a single vessel, or possibly as many as three domestic vessels. A radiocarbon date of 1880-1680 cal. BC 2ẟ was returned from a piece of hazel charcoal in the fill of one of the slot trenches. However, the pottery found from the variety of features usually dates from the post-1400 BC period suggesting that some of the features excavated here are not contemporary despite the apparent spatial relationship. A scattering of cremated human bone fragments (total weight 9g) were also retrieved from several features.

8 Beat Centre, Stephenstown, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin.