Excavation

Identified in centre-line testing (E4110) in advance of the M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy road scheme and set aside for resolution as Ballycarrigeen Lower 7 (Hardy et al. 2010, 61). It is situated at the bottom of a NW-facing slope with a small NE-SW stream c. 60m to the NW as it begins to turn W. It was completely excavated (E4224) by M. McNamara as a subcircular pit (dims 3.6m x 2.6m; D 2.5m) with a flat base that naturally filled with water and had 12 layers. The lowest contained wood, while that above it might represent a base of flagstones. The two layers above this contained wood and the pit may have been a well with a collapsed lining. Most of the fills above this represented slippage. One layer had charcoal, burnt bone and stones, which produced a C14 date of cal. AD 673-775. The two layers above this filled most of the pit and my represent deliberate closure. There were two smaller pits (dims 1m x 0.7m; D 0.35m: 0.64m x 0.6m; D 0.25m) c. 4m to the E. The only finds were burnt animal bones. (McNamara 2012; 2013) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 26 November, 2013