County: Cork Site name: Ballymakeery 6
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E004918
Author: Stuart Elder, Rubicon Heritage Services Ltd
Site type: Possible metalworking site
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 521938m, N 576833m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 51.938125, -9.135295
Excavation by Rubicon Heritage Ltd at Ballymakeery 6 was undertaken as part of the N22 Baile Bhuirne–Macroom Road Scheme (Lot 1) Archaeological Consultancy Services Contract. The excavation was carried out on behalf of Cork County Council and funded by Transport Infrastructure Ireland.
Excavation at Ballymakeery 6recorded as a possible industrial site comprised of a possible furnace containing slag and a charcoal production pit with in-situ burning.
Specialist analysis
Analysis of the charcoal fragments recovered from the charcoal production pit and the pit furnace revealed that oak dominated the assemblage accounting for 54% of the identified fragments; pomaceous fruitwoods 19%; hazel 13% ash 12% and birch 2%. The majority of the charcoal identified contained between 2 and 18 annual growth rings and were classified as being from larger branchwood/heartwood since the growth rings displayed a moderate to weak curvature profile. In the case of pomaceous fruitwood and hazel charcoal from pit C1021 (C1022), approx. 50% of the fragments were classified as being from smaller branchwood as the ring profile was stronger.
The furnace contained about 5.5 kg of slag, the majority of which is dense to rather dense and has clear horizontal flow structure. Less frequent is slag that is porous, charcoal-rich and notably lighter.
Dating
A total of two radiocarbon dates were obtained from Maloideae (pomaceous woods) charcoal for the two features excavated at Ballymakeery 6. These indicated that the industrial activity recorded at the site took place during the latter part of the early medieval period, within a date range of 980-1150 cal BC (2σ) (SUERC-86096) and the early part of the late medieval period, within a date range of 1169-1265 cal AD (2σ) (SUERC-86540).
Unit 2, Europa Enterprise Park, Midleton, Co. Cork P25 TV25
