1993:176 - CÉIDE FIELDS, Glenulra, Mayo

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Mayo Site name: CÉIDE FIELDS, Glenulra

Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 6:3202 Licence number: 92E0140

Author: Gretta Byrne

Site type: Field system

Period/Dating: Neolithic (4000BC-2501 BC)

ITM: E 504971m, N 840004m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.299954, -9.459960

A six week-long excavation was undertaken in order to further expose, for public display, parts of the Neolithic pre-bog field walls in the vicinity of the Céide Fields Visitor Centre. In all a total linear length of over 50m of wall was uncovered from beneath the cutover peat, in segments connecting cuttings already exposed in 1990, (Excavations 1990, 45). These are part of a rectangular field, 160m x 120m, itself part of an extensive coaxial field system of long parallels subdivided by cross walls built on up to 1,000 hectares of the pre-bog Neolithic landscape. They comprise substantial collapsed stone walls, of the local sandstone.

During the excavation a further 50m length of previously unknown pre-bog wall was located, but not uncovered, evidenced by differences in the surface vegetation of the bog and confirmed by probing. This was an extension to a main parallel wall.

Evidence of flint knapping was uncovered on the pre-bog surface adjacent to one of the previously exposed cross walls in and around a concentration of charcoal, possibly a hearth. The flints comprised a rounded scraper, eight flakes and 81 smaller flakes and chips. A sample of the charcoal was identified by Dr. Donal Synnott as 60% hazel and the remainder willow, alder, holly and oak.

Some finds were also located in eroded soil in a separate cutting beside a wall, comprising a chert rounded scraper, three worn chert flakes, a flint chip and three probably used quartz flakes.

Ballyglass, Ballycastle, Co. Mayo