Ring-ditch in Tankardstown South

In pasture 30m S of the townland boundary with Ballygubba. Surrounding the excavated ring ditch (LI047-012004-) cut into Neolithic House Site 2 (LI047-012002-) and 30m W of excavated Neolithic house Site 1 (LI047-012001-). Not depicted on OSi historic mapping. The ring ditch was identified in 1988 during excavation of House 2 (LI047-012002-) by Christine Tarbett and Margaret Gowen. The results of this excavation were summarised as follows; ‘This feature (FI0I) runs in an arc roughly north south through the Neolithic foundation trench and other pre ditch deposits (F171, 172, 173 and 177,) which may relate to the occupation of the house. It describes an arc of a circle roughly 12m-15m in diameter and surrounds the centrally placed cremation pit excavated in 1987. It thus appears to relate to the cremation pit and be of later Bronze Age date. It would now seem that one of the ditch/gully features excavated at the eastern end of Cutting 4 in 1987 also represents a part of this ditch. The ditch is 1.3m-1.5m wide, with a gently sloped and flat bottomed profile. It is 1.1m to 1.3m deep. The fill, of alternately stoney and relatively stone free silty soil, clearly indicates that silt lines have been quite heavily truncated. No dateable material was retrieved from the areas of ditch fill excavated except a small sherd of Neolithic pottery which appears to be redeposited' (Tarbett and Gowen 1989, 25). Compiled by: Martin Fitzpatrick Date of upload: 1 September