County: Cork Site name: Bealick 3
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E004982
Author: Stuart Elder, Rubicon Heritage Services Ltd
Site type: Prehistoric burnt mound
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 535155m, N 572916m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 51.904613, -8.942367
Excavation by Rubicon Heritage Ltd at Bealick 3 was undertaken as part of the N22 Baile Bhuirne–Macroom Road Scheme (Lot 3) Archaeological Consultancy Services Contract. The excavation was carried out on behalf of Cork County Council and funded by Transport Infrastructure Ireland.
The excavated features consisted of two burnt spreads with associated pits (Phase I) and three linear ditches/field drains (Phase II)
The two burnt spread deposits (08 and 21) represent two phases of probable burnt mound use at Bealick 3, interrupted by a phase of probable alluvial flooding, recorded as silt deposit (20), between the two burnt spread deposits. The charcoal assemblage from both burnt spread deposits ((08) and (021) shows a mixture of dryland and wetland resources were used to provide wood-fuel. Hazel is the most represented wood type within both spreads, while oak and alder are both well-represented. Ash and willow are present in both assemblages, while birch and fruit-tree are only present in burnt spread (21). Both pit (012) and pit (022) are thought to be associated with the burnt spread activity. These features comprised wood fuel assemblages similar to those of the burnt spreads, with pit (12) containing a higher representation of wetland trees, in particular alder. The presence of largely oak and hazel from the burnt spreads and pit (22), together with high alder fragments in pit (12) suggests a local woodland canopy principally comprising of these taxa that also contains trees such as ash, willow, birch and fruit tree elements; a possible dry to wet woodland, which may have existed in proximity to the nearby River Laney.
Only two cereal grains were identified from linear feature (011) and provide little evidence of arable activity with only one grain able to be identified to family level suggesting some cultivation of barley in the post-medieval period.
Eight sherds of Glazed Red Earthenware were retrieved from fill (004) of field drain (003). The sherds possibly derive from the same dish, which dates to between the 18th–20th centuries.
A total of two radiocarbon dates were returned from features at Bealick 3. Radiocarbon dating of hazel charcoal from the fills of two pits (012) and (022) returned an Early Bronze Age date for this phase of activity on site.
Unit 2, Europa Enterprise Park, Midleton, Co. Cork P25 TV25
