1986:27 - ARD, Galway

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Galway Site name: ARD

Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number:

Author: Markus Casey

Site type: Cist

Period/Dating: Undetermined

ITM: E 517268m, N 743325m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.433529, -9.245027

While on a fishing expedition on Lough Corrib several years ago, a local angler discovered what appeared to be the remains of a cist, partially exposed by recent quarrying activities. The site was visited by the Galway Archaeological Survey and David Sweetman, OPW, who recommended that it be excavated as it was clearly in danger of collapse.

A week-long excavation in May 1986 was funded by the National Museum.

The eastern end of what appeared to be a stone cist lay exposed high up in a recently cut quarry face. The end wall of the cist had collapsed and the whole structure was precariously balanced. A cutting was made into the ground directly above the cist, but away from the quarry edge. The intention was to determine the exact location of the chamber as well as its dimensions and also to recover any material of potential archaeological value.

It soon became apparent that the site had been disturbed at least twice previously. On the first occasion the diggers seem to have dug into the chamber from above, removing any capstones which the chamber might have had and also probably any contents from the chamber. On the second occasion, probably fairly recently (within this century), the western end wall of the chamber was removed and material from within the cist was scooped out.

The only finds of any interest were some animal bones and a chert flake. Nothing remained to show that these were primary deposits and neither were any of the contexts datable. Traces of burnt soil were found at the bottom of the chamber and, though samples were taken, they seem to be of little archaeological value. The limits of the cist trench were determined. Because of earlier disturbance the exact length of the chamber was not known. What remained was 2.4m long and 75cm wide. These dimensions and the location, siting and orientation of the site suggest that it may have belonged to a prehistoric or an early historic burial tradition.

As far as I am aware, this was the first archaeological excavation to have taken place west of the River Corrib. The report will be published in the 1987 edition of the Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society.

5 Lower Canal Road, Galway