1994:113 - LETTERSHEA, Galway

A short initial excavation season lasting three weeks began in May 1994. Prior to excavation, the visible features on site were a sub-circular setting of peat-covered stones, measuring 4.8m north-south, 4.4m east-west, suggestive of a prehistoric hut or a 19th-century booley house. A sub-rectangular area measuring 10m east-west by 7.8m north-south was opened up. It became apparent that the set stones were an integral part of a prehistoric building. The interior was roughly level with a covering of turf and rushes. The structure was stripped of a thick turf sod to reveal a roughly oval arc of stone on the east and north of the site. Depth of peat varied from 0.5m in the north-west to as little as 1m in the south, where it overlay some rock outcrop. These stones were evidently part of a ring wall which ran from the rock outcrop which defined the site on its southern side. The ring wall was quite well defined from east through to north and west. Only on the southern side of the site was it absent. It is unclear what happened to it here as no socket stones were identified. A layer of rough packing was laid on top of an area of outcrop. The wall was constructed of glacial boulders of local quartz including one white quartz stone. Stones at the east side were set at right angles to the thickness of the wall. Two of these form part of a possible narrow entrance feature 4m wide. The wall varied from one stone wide at the entrance to over 1m on its north circuit. Here a number of boulders were set on edge to form a rough kerb. The height of the wall varied between 4m high in the east to a maximum of 7m in the north.

On the west side three upright stones were uncovered. Two of these were visible prior to excavation. These stones look like miniature pillar stones and are sloping into a south-western direction. Immediately beneath the sod was a loose layer of tumble stones, particularly in the interior of the walls on the north side both inside and out. This would appear to be the remains of collapse from the ring wall. Beneath the collapse and immediately overlying a roughly paved floor was a charcoal deposit of uneven thickness and unevenly spread. A sample of this has been sent to Queen's University Belfast for further analysis and carbon dating.

Beneath the layer of collapse lay a floor of rough paving. The rough paving is best preserved close to a possible entrance feature on the east side. This feature is defined by two stones set at right angles to the line of the enclosing walls. The set of three stones on the west side may represent a more elaborate entrance feature though it may represent a small standing of a ritual or burial nature. The presence of these stones led us to believe initially that the site might be ritual in nature. The stones are packed tightly together though now leaning sharply to the south and south-west. The tallest of these stones measures 1.1m in height and is a sharp angular stone. The other two are 1m and 0.8m high respectively. These have yet to be fully excavated. Another feature suggestive of a ritual dimension to the site is the use of a large block of white quartz on the ring wall. White quartz is normally confined to ritual monuments in Connemara. White quartz standing stones and stone rows are fairly common in a wide band between Cleggan and the Maam Valley. If the site is ritual rather than domestic in nature then the use of a white quartz block would not be unusual. A large exposure of white quartz can be seen on top of Binn Glann Uisce overlooking the site to the east. The interior of the site is very slightly dished and is roughly paved with flat irregular slabs and stones. One large flat stone was lying in a slightly off-centre position. When lifted it was evident that it had a thin lens of peat underneath.

Stone finds - Lithics
A small number of finds, eight in total, provide conclusive evidence of Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age activity on the site. These were found both within and without the site. Five of the artefacts were made from flint, and three from chert. The most important of these is a very fine thumb-nail scraper. There were three pieces of honey-flint, which is similar in appearance to Antrim flint. The lithic material has been sent to UCC for further study and analysis.

Ardagh House, Ardagh, Clifden, Co. Galway