Burnt mound in Ballynattin

This is the record for two adjacent burnt mounds excavated by Anne Connolly (97E0128) as part of the Arklow bypass scheme. One was a subcircular spread of burnt material (c. 7m NE-SW; 5.5m (NW-SE; depth 0.2m) from which one fragmented piece of worked flint was recovered. The second spread of burnt material was broadly subcircular in shape (12.5m NE-SW; 10.8m NW-SE; max. depth 0.45m). Associated with these a wooden platform consisting of narrow lengths of wood covering an area 1.9m in length and 1.4m in width. Beneath this platform was a series of wooden stakes which did not form any clear patterns. A sample from this wood was dated by dendrochronology and had a felling date of late-856 BC/early-855 BC. (http://www.excavations.ie/Pages/Details.php?Year=&County=Wicklow&id=4119) Compiled by: Denis Power Date of upload: 25 January 2013

Burnt mound in Ballynattin is a Bronze Age ritual or industrial site, characterized by heaps of heat-shattered stones, likely used for water heating. Its significance lies in providing evidence of domestic or ceremonial activity associated with early settled communities in the region.