County: Clare Site name: AREA 13, BALLYNACRAGGA
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 98E0335
Author: Anne Connolly, Archaeological Services Unit Ltd., for Valerie J. Keeley Ltd.
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 524768m, N 657338m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.662007, -9.112115
One week's pre-development testing commenced on 24 July 1998 as part of the N18/N19 (Ballycasey–Dromoland) Road Improvement Scheme.
A possible stone alignment had been identified in an archaeological assessment report compiled by Celie O Rahilly. It consists of three earthfast boulders oriented north-west/south-east. A geophysical survey identified a possible ditch feature to the north of the stone alignment in an area within the road corridor.
No archaeological features or deposits were encountered during testing. Natural soils were excavated and found to be sterile and featureless.
Excavation of the trenches adjacent to the possible alignment revealed, for the most part, undisturbed natural layers. The recovery of two beads and some charcoal flecks from the subsoil suggests some activity in the vicinity of the stones rather than activity related to their original erection.
One of the stones of the possible alignment was seen to be deeply lodged in natural sand layers, in contrast to the depth of the other stone, revealed in an adjacent trench. This second stone was not earthfast in that it was found to be overlying a shallow, brown clay that had a depth of 0.1m.
Purcell House, Oranmore, Co. Galway
