2023:835 - BALLYSALLAGH BUSINESS PARK, Railway Road, Ballysallagh, Charleville, Cork

Archaeological monitoring and subsequent excavation was undertaken at the site of a proposed industrial development following a programme of test trenching (Licence 22E0116, excavations.ie entry 2022:869), where a probable charcoal-production pit was identified.

Monitoring of topsoil stripping was undertaken across the eastern half of the development site, where the initial charcoal-production pit, identified during test trenching, along with additional features, were uncovered towards the south-eastern corner. The subsequent excavation revealed these features to comprise two shallow charcoal-production pits, three further pits and a charcoal-rich deposit.

The charcoal-production pits (1 and 2) were defined by their charcoal-rich fills and were each outlined by an oxidised ‘halo’ of fire-reddened clay, indicative of in-situ burning. Both pits survived as elongated rectangles with rounded corners and measured 1.7m by 0.92m by 0.11m and 3.75m by 1.03–1.16m by 0.08m respectively. The primary fills of each consisted of black, charcoal-rich silts, which were subsequently sealed by firm clays. An additional black, charcoal-rich clayey silt was recorded as the upper fill of charcoal-production pit 2.

Oval pit 5 appeared somewhat similar to the charcoal-production pits and contained comparable fills. Together with an adjacent charcoal-rich deposit (57) it may have once represented the remains of an additional charcoal-production pit, but was heavily disturbed by a modern trench. The pit (5) measured 0.82m long, 0.52m wide and 0.08m deep and displayed slight fire-reddening along the base, while the deposit (57) was similar to the charcoal-rich fills at the base of the charcoal-production pits, and measured 1.18m by 0.56m, but survived to no more than 0.01m thick.

The two remaining pits (3 and 4) did not contain evidence of in-situ burning, but did contain remnant burnt remains, including frequent charcoal and some heart-affected stone and minute fragments of burnt bone, indicative of their use as refuse pits. Both pits were sub-circular and each contained a single, firm clayey silt fill. Pit 3 measured 0.7m by 0.57m by 0.1m, while pit 4 was 1.01m long, 0.87m wide and 0.14m deep.

No finds were recovered during the excavation. Two radiocarbon determinations were made, both from oak (quercus) charcoal. The charcoal from pit 1 returned at date of Cal. AD 885–991 2 sigma (1124±23, UBA-53669), while the charcoal from pit 2 returned a date of Cal. AD 996–1154 2 Sigma (985±22, UBA-53670), placing both towards the latter end of the early medieval period, between the late 9th and mid-12th centuries AD. Given the close proximity and the similar morphology of the remaining features it is likely that they are contemporaneous.