2018:715 - Ballygillin 1, Westmeath

Archaeological excavation at Ballygillin 1 in advance of the proposed N52 Cloghan to Billistown Phase 2 – Turin to Billistown Realignment, Co. Westmeath. The site was identified during Stage(i) archaeological testing of the proposed N52 Turin to Billistown Realignment carried out by Archaeological Management Solutions(AMS) and Archaeological Consultancy Services Unit (ACSU) on behalf of Westmeath County Council between 16 and 31 July 2018 under Excavation Licence No. 18E0375. As part of the Stage (ii) pre-excavation services from 10 September to 3 October 2018, an area measuring 2635m² centred on these features was stripped of topsoil by mechanical excavator, cleaned by a team of archaeologists and planned. Excavation was then carried out by Ian Russell between 4 and 25 October 2018 under Licence No. 18E0602.
The features identified formed part of a late medieval field system. A curvilinear ditch (C11) was exposed for a length of 84m, extending eastwards for c. 50m from a western rounded terminal before turning south and continuing beyond the limit of the excavation area. This ditch measured 2.4m in width, 0.22m in depth and had gradually sloping sides and a flat base. The single fill of mid-brown to grey gravelly clay also contained angular stone, 90 animal bone fragments, 5 sherds of late medieval pottery (late 12th–15th century) and 1 decayed iron horseshoe. A north–south ditch (C15), 20m east of the western limit of the excavation area, abutted ditch C11 to the north and continued beyond the limit of excavation to the south. This ditch was exposed for a length of 30m north–south, measured 4.1m in width, 0.22m in depth and also had gradually sloping sides and a flat base. A single fill of light brown sandy clay contained angular stone, 66 animal bone fragments, charcoal identified as alder, two charred grains unidentifiable to species, a decayed copper fragment, possibly representing a button, and a decayed iron nail. A cattle tooth (0.46g) from this fill returned a date of 630±30 BP, giving a 2-sigma calibrated date range of AD 1287–1399 (Poz-114553).
A third ditch (C8) was located 13m south of ditch C11, measured 24.5m in length from north-west to south-east, 0.9m in width and 0.16m in depth. It had gradually sloping sides and a partially concave base. The single fill of mid-brown sandy clay also included two sherds of late medieval pottery (13th–14th century). The curvilinear ditch (C11) appeared to form the eastern and northern portion of an enclosure that was potentially part of a field system or animal enclosure located north of a known enclosure, WM013-095, located 60m to the south.
The enclosure is outside the line of the proposed road but clearly visible on a geophysical survey carried out by Target Archaeological Geophysics in 2018. The north–south ditch (C15) most likely formed part of a north–south field system within the enclosure, while the north-west to south-east ditch (C8) would have formed part of an internal boundary. Ditches C8, C11 and C15 were also partially evident on the geophysical survey. The radiocarbon date and associated finds indicate that the field system is late medieval in date.
The eastern portion of the curvilinear ditch (C11) also contained a cereal-drying kiln (C136) and although heavily truncated it was identified as a roughly figure-of-eight-shaped area, measuring 1.6m in length east–west, 1.08m in width and 0.1m in depth. The primary fill of mid-grey gravelly clay contained six animal bone fragments and rare charcoal flecks, and was overlain by two spreads. The first comprised a layer of charcoal that measured 0.65m in length north–south, 0.58m in width and 0.03m in depth. Above this was an oval area of orange oxidised clay containing rare charcoal flecks, which measured 0.7m in length north–south, 0.6m in width and 0.1m in depth. At the north-west end of the kiln, a natural stone socket was filled with sterile, grey sandy clay with some gravel, above which was a spread of black clay containing charcoal and charred plant macro-remains (some of which was identifiable as naked wheat), most likely displaced from the adjacent kiln. The spread measured 0.3m in length north-west to south-east by 0.25m in width and 0.05m in depth. A charred grain of naked wheat from this fill returned a date of 430±30 BP, giving a 2-sigma calibrated date range of AD 1421–1616 (Poz-115142).

Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills Rd, Drogheda, Co. Louth