County: Galway Site name: CAHERATOOTHER, Carrowkeel
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 27:20 Licence number: 97E0015
Author: Gerry Walsh, Rathbawn Road, Castlebar, Co. Mayo.
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 508894m, N 754740m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.534699, -9.374333
Pre-development testing was undertaken as the proposed development was located adjacent to a stone fort. Four test-trenches were excavated to see if the development would have any effect on the monument. Trenches 1–3 radiated out from the fort into the proposed development site, while Trench 4 was located around and outside the western wall of the fort where a proposed water-main is to be inserted.
Trenches 1–3 were located outside the north-western side of the stone fort. All three were 20m long x 2m wide. The stratigraphy within the trenches was similar and consisted of a thin sod layer (0.07–0.1m thick) which overlay a stony topsoil (0.1–0.12m thick). Underlying the topsoil was a natural orange/grey gravel and, in some places, bedrock. There was no evidence of a ditch outside the stone fort wall in any of the trenches.
Trench 4 was located on the line of a proposed water-main which skirted the western side of the fort. Here the curve of the fort wall has been respected by a 'boreen', and the water pipe is to be inserted under this roadway.
At the northern end of the trench the stratigraphy consisted of a sod layer, 0.1m thick, overlying a layer of rough stones (the road surface, 0.2m thick). This overlay a natural grey/white daub which also included some stones. At the southern end of the trench the roadway overlay a natural orange daub with stones and in some places broken bedrock. No trace of a ditch was uncovered outside the stone fort wall.
No archaeological features or small finds were recovered from any of the trenches.
