2024:770 - Shannonpark, Cork

A programme of monitoring and a subsequent programme of excavation were carried out ahead of the construction of a housing development. The excavation cutting was located immediately adjoining Cutting A excavated under license 22E0027 ext.

At the north of the excavation area the fill of a post-hole [C.012] was dated to cal BC 5209-5005. This post-hole was located c. 3m to the north of Structure 2 (excavated under Licence 22E0027 ext). Within the southern portion of the cutting several post-holes, pits, stake-holes, a spread and a slot feature were interpreted as the remains of a structure. An occupation spread (C.205) and the fill of slot [C.076] from within this concentration of features were dated to cal BC 5473-5233 and cal BC 5478-5333 respectively. A second area of likely structural activity was identified c. 3.5m to the east of the first, however no dating evidence was recovered from this possible structure.

A small amount of lithic material was recovered during the excavation; however, none was diagnostic in form. The lithic assemblage recovered during the 22E0027 ext. programme of excavation provided good evidence for activity during the earlier Mesolithic, indicated by a small single platform core and several small fine blades and flakes, many of which exhibited dorsal scars indicative of being knapped from well-worked cores and the lithic material was indicative of flint knapping on site. While the Early Mesolithic flint assemblage recovered at Shannonpark was small, the lithics were recovered from secure deposits associated with Structure 1 (excavated under Licence 22E0027 ext.), which was dated to cal BC 4833-4614. The relatively late date for the typologically Early Mesolithic flints recovered at Shannonpark may indicate regional variation in terms of the lithic technology in use during the period. Sites identified within this region and assumed to date to pre-6700 BC, based solely on the identification of Early Mesolithic lithic forms, should perhaps be reconsidered in light of these findings.

This site appears to represent some of the earliest archaeological evidence identified thus far for settlement within County Cork. Across the two programmes of excavation, six Mesolithic dates were returned from features associated with four or more likely structures extending for c. 40m along the margin of a bog or former lake and possibly extending further to the north where several features were preserved in situ. Dating evidence suggests the site was primarily in use during the latter half of the 6^th millennium BC but may have been in use for around 1000 years.

At the east of the cutting a series of post-holes formed an arc on a roughly north to south axis and together with post-holes [C.253] and [C.255] may have formed an irregular circular structure measuring c. 5m in diameter. The fills of post-holes [C.253] and [C.255] contained prehistoric pottery and the fill of [C.253] was dated to cal BC 3515-3362, suggesting this activity and pottery were Neolithic in date.

A number of pits were located within the southern portion of the site, and each contained a burnt stone fill. The fill of pit [C.022] was dated to cal BC 2202-2032 suggesting these pits were Chalcolithic in date. These were interpreted as roasting pits.