County: Roscommon Site name: Ballaghcullia 3
Sites and Monuments Record No.: NA Licence number: E005130
Author: Patrick Walsh
Site type: Bronze Age structures, a cremation cemetery, a cereal-drying kiln and other associated features
Period/Dating: Bronze Age (2200 BC-801 BC)
ITM: E 575302m, N 788400m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.844492, -8.375304
This report describes the preliminary results of a Stage (iii) archaeological excavation at Ballaghcullia 3 (Registration No. E5130, Ministerial Direction No. A077), which was carried out in advance of construction of the N5 Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge Road Project in County Roscommon. The archaeological remains at Ballaghcullia 3 consisted of eight Bronze Age structures, a cremation cemetery, a cereal-drying kiln and other associated features. The site was identified during Test Excavations as carried out by Archaeological Management Solutions (AMS) under Ministerial Direction (No. A077, Registration No. E5070). The on-site works of the Stage (iii) Excavation and Post-excavation Assessment Services were undertaken between 17 February and 19 June 2020.
The aim of the mitigation strategy was to preserve by record all archaeological features and deposits. Ballaghcullia 3 was investigated in four cuttings (1–4) covering a total area of 3,974m².
Cutting 1 contained slots, pits, post- and stake-holes surrounding a probable hearth area, roughly 7m in diameter and probably representing the remains of a single circular building (Structure 8), although the structural pattern is not very clear.
Cutting 2 contained a stone-lined cereal-drying kiln and a pit with evidence of in-situ burning.
Cutting 3 contained eighteen pits, thirteen or possibly fourteen of which contained charcoal-rich deposits with cremated human remains and thirteen stake-holes, many of which may have held stakes that marked the locations of the cremation deposits. A sample of hazel charcoal from one of the pits returned a Middle–Late Bronze Age date, while a sample of oak charcoal from another returned a Late Bronze Age date.
Cutting 4 contained the remains of seven circular structures, comprised of slots, pits, post- and stake-holes, some of which had central hearths and well-defined porches, three of which have been dated to the Middle Bronze Age.
One hundred and nineteen artefacts were found during the investigations, these included sherds of prehistoric pottery, a broken quern stone, a stone axehead, a glass bead and various flint and chert lithics. Samples were retrieved from significant archaeological contexts for subsequent radiocarbon dating and environmental analyses.
Archaeological Management Solutions Fahy’s Road, Kilrush, Co. Clare. V15 C780
