2020:198 - Ballyboggan, Wexford, Wexford

Following excavation undertaken by McLoughlin, the licence was transferred to cover archaeological monitoring, from 2-23 October 2019. Monitoring took place of topsoil stripping in advance of Phase 2 of the development – 57 houses and ancillary works. The topsoil varied from 0.3-0.5m in depth, with the north-east quadrant being the deepest section.
A burnt spread was found during the preceding test excavation at National Grid reference 302327 122342; it measuring 20m by 10m in area. This section of the site was protected and scheduled for archaeological excavation which took place from 8-21 January 2020. The general topography describes a local terraced ridge, which falls from south to north, and then continues its descent to the River Slaney. This sense of elevated landscape is heightened by the rise to the general site location from both east and west. There remain some gentle undulations within this gentle north-facing aspect, which have produced a terraced effect at the north end of the development site as an interruption to the gentle north-facing aspect. This has created a localised level promontory or terrace that projects into lower ground by 0.3m to west and around to c. 1m at north, before the land rises briefly once more and then continues at steeper descent to the River Slaney. Coupled with the naturally non-porous nature of the subsoil, this allows for collection of water adjacent to the small terraced area and that of the burnt spread.
Environmental analysis has determined that various tree species grew local to the site, of which alder was the most predominant at 65% of the site charcoal assemblage and then hazel at 16%, blackthorn at 11%, oak at 5% and willow at 3%. Lyons (2020: 4), notes that ‘based on the wood taxa recorded at Ballyboggan, the local woodland reflects largely riparian or riverine woodland, where alder and lesser willow, both water tolerant woods, are likely to have thrived.’ However, given the local topography, it is more likely that the non-porous subsoils provided for the continuous presence of waterlogged surfaces that allowed these species to flourish. The topography suggests localised waterlogged locations, surrounded by drier grounds. This would present a marginal woodland location, which allowed a mixture of species to flourish and ideal for the siting of burnt spreads. Indeed, Lyons (2020: 4) notes that ‘wood species indicators of clearance and marginal woodland, such as hazel and blackthorn, are also found from earlier dated fulacht sites’. The site and surrounding woodland present an Early Bronze Age environment.
The excavation evidence presents a burnt spread with core features of a trough (Feature 1) and adjacent fire-reddened pit (Feature 2). The composition of the natural subsoil was sufficient to retain water and it appears that this was the function of the trough. The closely sited hearth immediately to east would have heated the stone, from which it was pushed or pulled into the trough. The depression between both features was probably created through the action of moving the material along the ground and into the trough. The heated stones would then heat up the water in the trough, most typically for cooking purposes. The upcast and ensuing burnt spread was a subsequent cleaning out of the trough/hearth and down slope to west and to north, away from the hub of activity and onto edge or into what may have been open water, or at least to an area most probably susceptible to flooding, which would also have served as a convenient water source.
Associated stake-holes appear to create some form of barrier, shelter or other such structure to north and east of the hearth. From this position this amalgamated arrangement would have respected the relationship between hearth and trough. It may have served as a windbreak, although the prevailing winds are south-westerly. Alternatively, this feature could have served to absorb heat from the fire – to hold items, objects, or food such as fish to smoke, cure, dry or similar function. Given the environment and soil conditions, fish bones may not have survived in these conditions. There appear to be in the order of three to four alignments of stake-holes and clusters or conjoined ones, which strongly suggests that this site, although not large in comparison to others in the corpus of Irish burnt spreads (which can retain multiple pits, hearths and troughs), was subject to repeated use over a given period – though not protracted. The quantity of burnt spread (Context 2) as upcast certainly bears this out. Lyons (2020: 4) notes that all five trees species were evident in the fill of the trough (Feature 1), while oak and willow were absent from the hearth (Feature 2), and attributes this ‘to the higher number of charcoal fragments identified from F1, where more wood taxa were identified’. However, it is also plausible that the charcoal from the hearth demonstrates the species used in the final firing – as it was noted that this fill was a richer black colour compared to other deposits on the site – and that the species in the trough may be an amalgamation of several uses. Certainly, the fact that there was no evidence of insect activity in the timber and the small timber size – two to seven years growth (Lyons, 2020: 4) all suggest immediately and readily sourced timber, within localised clearing.
The available archaeological evidence portrays an Early Bronze Age landscape of mixed woodland surrounding a cleared localised level area set by open standing water in an otherwise sloping topography towards the River Slaney 900m to north. The immediate landscape could only support a reasonably small site of one hearth and trough. The repeated construction and alignments of stakes was to support a functional element. The arrangement of these could not support a shelter. Their location on the north and east side of the fire meant that they did not seek to interrupt the prevailing winds on the hearth (surrounding woodland may have served this purpose), but rather, it appears this structure wished to utilise the prevailing wind. Given the relative proximity to the River Slaney, this structure may have been used to dry and cure fish – while cooking also occurred on the site at the same time. Given the distance from the River Slaney, it may be that this may have been the site that was closest to the river having all the correct attributes for its functionality.

Reference:
Lyons, S. Soil Sample Analysis Report: Ballyboggan, Co. Wexford. ENV20/002. Unpublished Report. March 2020.

Cashel, Co. Tipperary