2022:808 - BALLINROBE: Neale Road, Ballinaya, Mayo

Archaeological excavation and monitoring were carried out in advance of a new burial ground at Neale Road, Ballinaya, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo. Excavation was carried out in two areas, on either side of a private access road leading to a derelict dwelling house and farmland (Area 1 to south and Area 2 to north).

Area 1 covered 2,231 square metres. The sod and topsoil (C1) consisted of mid-brown clay that measured 0.31m in thickness and lay above compact, natural orange sandy clay and gravel (C2). In total, six pits (C5, C10, C22, C29, C32 and C42), two possible firepits (C4 and C6), four field system ditches or parts thereof (C3, C7, C12 and C13), one oval-shaped depression (C9) that appeared to represent a waterhole, and one agricultural furrow (C34) were identified.

Area 2 covered 966 square metres. The sod and topsoil (C200) consisted of mid-brown clay that measured 0.31m in thickness and lay above compact, natural orange sandy clay and gravel (C201). In total, four curving sections of a possible slot-trench (C215a–d) representing the remains of a structure (possibly a roundhouse), a post-hole (C213), four pits (C216, C231, C232 and C233), part of a field system ditch (C236), two agricultural furrows or parts thereof (C229 and C237) and one modern water pipe duct (C228) were exposed.

At least two phases of occupation were represented across the site. The first comprised a possible pit (C4) in Area 1 that returned a date in the Late Neolithic (2864–2500 cal. BC; ICA-7052) from oak charcoal. A second similar feature (C6) was also identified a short distance away to the south-east. It is possible that both features represented firepits related to some type of settlement, where traces of in-situ burning and heat-affected stones might indicate hearths and water-heating debris, perhaps linked to short-term occupation. Alternatively, given their substantial depths (0.65m and 0.68m) and somewhat irregular appearance, they may represent the remains of tree throws, where the roots were subjected to burning when clearing the land for agricultural use.

The second phase comprised Middle–Late Bronze Age activity. This included the remains of a possible structure (C215), where associated hazel charcoal returned a date of 1401–1216 cal. BC (ICA-7050). The four segments of slot-trench formed an arc measuring c. 8m in diameter, which if projected could have represented the foundation of a roundhouse up to 10m in internal diameter. Charcoal, some burnt clay and stones were noted throughout the fills, with some larger, angular stones likely representing the remains of stone packing. A post-hole (C213) and a charcoal-rich pit (C216) that included oxidised clay were located south of the slot trench and within the projected extent of the roundhouse. There was no clear evidence of in-situ burning within the pit, however, but it may have represented either the dumping of waste from a nearby fireplace or the remnants of an internal hearth that could have been largely above ground/raised. Further south of the possible roundhouse were the remains of a field system defined by five ditches (C3, C7, C12, C13 and C236), as well as eight dispersed pits (C5, C22, C29, C32, C42, C231, C232 and C233) and a natural depression (C9) likely representing a water sump. The prehistoric field system ditches varied in profile between U-shaped and V-shaped, with a slight step noted on the inner (northern) edge of ditch C12. Oak charcoal from one of the ditches (C7) returned a date of 1214–1016 cal. BC (ICA-7051). At least some of the pits scattered across the site may have been in contemporary use, although burnt bone (unidentifiable to species or element) from one pit (C44) was dated to 827–772 cal. BC (ICA-7053).

Archaeological monitoring was also conducted in Area 2 during works associated with the proposed entrance road and boundary wall. The area monitored covered 520 square metres and no archaeology was uncovered.