1993:200 - DEECHOMADE, Sligo

The second season of excavation of this small circular enclosure took place for three weeks in August/September. The funding was provided under the auspices of the National Committee for Archaeology of the Royal Irish Academy by the Office of Public Works.

Last year's two cuttings, in the north-east and south-west quadrants, and trench, at right angles to the long axis of the cuttings, were re-opened (see Excavations 1992, 56) and extended this year. The total area opened was 83m sq.

In Cutting A there were three main layers. The uppermost was a layer of sandy clay 0.08m thick, with a very high pebble content which contained worked chert and a flint thumb scraper. Beneath this was a black sandy clay 0.05m thick, with a high charcoal content but no other inclusions. Below this there was another gravelled layer, 0.05m thick, darker in colour than the previous one, with a small quantity of worked chert. An iron pan had formed below this last layer and this separated the archaeological strata from the natural. Cut into the natural in this cutting was an oblong pit, 1.5m x 0.8m, which contained a dump of stones, ranging in size from 0.05m to 0.25m, in charcoal-rich sandy clay. There was a concentrated charcoal deposit beneath these stones at the western end of this pit.

The stone layers revealed in Cutting B last year were in fact the fill of a large modern pit. The pit fill extended beyond the edge of the pit, continuing over the interior, up against the internal face of the bank and into Cutting A. With the removal of these upper stones an irregular D-shaped pit edge was revealed. This truncated all the internal layers in Cuttings A, B and E. The pit opening was 3.4m north-south by 3.8m east-west and 0.9m deep, with a large round boulder near its base. This broad, U-shaped pit was filled with layers of gravel, sandy silt and stones. The pit fill also included modern finds, glass and pottery, as well as worked pieces of chert.

It was noted during the course of the excavation that worked chert occurred in all gravel layers on the site. It was also found in the pit fill and in the A and B horizons intermixed with modern finds. This worked chert included several diagnostic types such as hollow and rounded scrapers, as well as blades with retouched edges.

A break in the bank, noted before excavation, proved to be due to bank collapse, not an entrance feature as was first postulated. The ditch was found to be continuous to the whole exterior of the site. Under the uppermost layer of bank and on the redeposited sod there was a localised spread of charcoal. This, together with charcoal from the oblong pit, has been sent for radiocarbon dating. The stone revetment noted in Cutting A last year was found to be a late feature confined to one area of the bank.

In conclusion, the lack of evidence for house structures, such as postholes, slot trenches or a hearth, suggests that this site was not a habitation. This is further supported by the continuous bank and ditch, through which there is no entrance. Of course, the large modern pit may have removed some vital evidence which would indicate the function of this site. Based on the results available a possible funerary or sepulchral nature for the site is speculative. However, an intensive survey of barrows in the district has shown that these small earthen enclosures are often found in association with classic barrow types.

Analysis of the soil, chert, flint and charcoal are currently being undertaken and will be published in the full excavation report together with the results of the survey.

17 Ormond Rd., Drumcondra, Dublin 9 and 67 Raheny Pk, Raheny, Dublin 5