1998:260 - ORANMORE SEWERAGE SCHEME, Galway

A preliminary archaeological assessment of the areas likely to be affected by the Oranmore Sewerage Scheme was compiled by Diarmuid Lavelle in January 1995. Subsequent fieldwork by Mr Lavelle, along with a search of the cartographic and literary sources, resulted in the identification of a total of fourteen sites. Of these, five were previously listed in the SMR for County Galway and nine were new sites of potential archaeological significance.

Gerry Walsh (Excavations 1996, 45, 96E388) carried out some pre-development testing and excavation.

In order to avoid confusion, the sites excavated by this writer have been given Roman numerals to distinguish them from those sites listed by Lavelle and tested by Walsh.

In 1998 this writer undertook monitoring along the route of the pipe-laying, and a number of smaller sites were resolved under that licence. Work is ongoing at several of the larger sites, for which separate licences have been applied, and will continue during 1999.

Site I: Oranmore, midden
This was immediately visible under the scraw and humus as a circular spread of burnt stone measuring 2.5m x 2.8m in maximum dimensions, at a depth of 0.35–0.45m below ground level. The material seemed to be a heap of lime and burnt stone 0.28–0.3m deep, which lay on yellow/grey subsoil (natural). There were no finds apart from some oyster and periwinkle shells. Several pieces of what appear to be burnt peat were also found.

Site IA: Oranmore, shell scatter
This was a thin scatter of shell, much of it broken, in a matrix of yellow/brown subsoil. There were no finds. The maximum extent of the spread was 2m x 1.8m.

Site II: Oranmore, shell spread
This large, thin spread of shell, 0.1–0.2m deep, occurred over an area of roughly 3.5m x 4.5m. The shell was concentrated in three clusters, but excavation showed that a more or less continuous deposit was present throughout the area. Oyster and periwinkles predominated and were sometimes deposited in distinct, separate, small caches. There was some animal bone.

Site III: Oranmore, midden
An irregular and thin spread of midden material (shell with some animal bone) showed on the surface, over an area with maximum dimensions of 2.3m x 2.6–2.8m. The surviving material was an average of 50mm thick.

Site IV: Oranmore, stray find
This was the suspected site of a possible hearth that had been previously identified in field-walking. Excavation showed that the reddish/orange staining and black staining in the soil were natural deposits in a superficial deposit of estuarine mud. Some nodules of chert occurred, but these were natural and unworked.

About 1.8m south-south-west of this suspected site a piece of chert was discovered lying on the surface of the estuarine mud. This find seems to have been chipped or retouched.

Site V: Oranmore, midden
This was an irregular spread of midden material, most of it badly disturbed by machine tracks, originally 8m x 9–9.8m. Most of the deposit consisted of shell, mainly oyster and periwinkle, and some bone. The scraw and grass had previously been stripped but had averaged 0.2–0.25m deep. The lower deposits of humus beneath the scraw had survived and averaged 20–50mm deep over parts of the midden material. The deposit was not continuous, and two midden layers separated by a brown soil level could be discerned in places in one of the long faces of the cutting.

Site VI: Oranmore, middens
Stripping of the topsoil led to the discovery of a number of continuous and discontinuous spreads of midden material consisting of shell with smaller quantities of bone. The total area of the spreads was c. 8m x 12m. On the first day of monitoring a flint, leaf-shaped arrowhead, a struck piece of chert and a possible chert core were found. These were all among exposed shells of the midden in an area less than 1.8m across. They suggest that the midden may be of prehistoric date, and as a result an area 3m x 5m of the main, apparently undisturbed deposit, which occurred around an outcrop of limestone, was excavated.

It was concluded that the deposits consisted of two core areas, one on each side of the outcrop, with the occasional cluster of shell and bone and unworked chert occurring between the natural grooves in the outcrop.

Two cuttings were made down to the boulder clay. One tooth found in Cutting 1 was possibly human. A lump of chert, which may have been a struck core, was found at a depth of 0.22–0.25m between the grikes in the limestone outcrop. One piece of ferrous material (rusted iron) came from the black, humic material just beneath the scraw. Large quantities of naturally occurring chert were found.

Site VII: Oranmore, shell scatter
This was a small scatter of oyster shells. The maximum extent was 1.1m x 0.65m. The layer was no more than 60mm thick and mixed with small stones. It lay directly on limestone outcrop and produced no artefacts.

Site VIII: Oranmore, shell spread
This was a spread of oyster shells over an area of 3.5m x 3.5m. The midden material was 0.1m deep.

Site IX: Oranmore, midden
This was a spread of midden material including oyster shell, periwinkles and much bone. Most of the upper levels of the midden seem to have been removed during soil-stripping. The spread was 1m x 0.5m and 0.15m deep. Some small pieces of charcoal and a tooth were found, as well as a sherd of pottery of a grey fabric with some white grits, which seems to be from the base of a vessel.

Site X: Oranmore, midden
This was a small spread of midden measuring c. 1.28m x 0.6m, including cockles, oysters and periwinkles. There was a small quantity of bone.

Site XI: Oranmore, midden
This was a truncated spread of midden material that was undoubtedly thicker before soil-stripping. The maximum spread of material visible before excavation was 2m x 1m. It consisted mostly of oyster shells and some periwinkles. One animal tooth was found. The midden material was 0.22m thick.

Site XII: Oranmore, walled garden
The walled garden through which the pipeline passed proved to be of 18th-century date. Two wide pathways (of a series of pathways that divided the area internally) were kerbed with limestone and contained red brick. English 18th-century red-ware pottery of a type copied from Chinese originals, with machine-made patterns of grooves and lozenges, occurred beneath the path. A worn coin of Charles II was found on the pathway but in a disturbed context.

Site XIII: Innplot, gravel spread with post-medieval pottery
Resolved.

Site XIV: Innplot, non-antiquity
Resolved, proved to be a 19th-century soak-pit.

Site XV: Innplot
As Site XIV, resolved.

Site XVI: Innplot
As Site XV, resolved.

Site XVII: Innplot, mill (site of)
This included wall footings, millpond flooring and millpond wall along with millstones still extant (Gerry Walsh's site 11). As well as the mill site (resolved by G. Walsh), a wall of a millpond and several other non-related features were found. This new millpond wall proved to be fragmentary. It will be left, and the pipeline will be diverted elsewhere.

Cleaning around the base of a peat deposit on what appears to be natural riverine gravels resulted in the discovery of a human male skull, some animal bone and several groupings of boulders. Also discovered were wattle-like pieces of wood. These are frequently worked, and as well as withies and stakes, some charred timbers, pegs and larger pieces of worked timber occurred.

The site is more extensive than hitherto suspected and appears to be a habitation area of some complexity that will require some further work. Among the smaller finds were some crudely worked but undiagnostic pieces of bad quality grey/blue chert, some hazelnut shells, periwinkle and mussel shells and roughly half of a jet or lignite bracelet. Some crude cobbling occurs in the area in which the boulders have been placed or dumped, and some of these boulders appear to sit on top of some of the pieces of charred wood.

The site is enigmatic, and its structural features are poorly preserved. There is, however, good organic material present. The wattle 'walling' may represent a fish weir, a property boundary or part of a building. A separate licence has been applied for to excavate this site.

Site XVIII: Oranmore, midden of shell and bone with kiln-like structure beneath
This midden, on cleaning, looked to be fairly confined and small. Below is a small, two-chambered structure linked by a low lintelled passage. Some worked chert, possibly prehistoric, occurred in the midden material. A separate licence has been applied for to complete this site.

Site XVIX: Oranmore, pathway outside walled garden
This was found to be of 18th/19th-century date and produced pottery of that period.

Site XX: Oranmore, midden spread with 19th-century pottery
Excavated and resolved.

Site XXI: Oranmore, midden spread
Contained modern pottery and clay pipe fragments. Excavated and resolved.

Site XXII: Oranmore, small midden spread
This probably prehistoric(?) spread contained mostly periwinkle shells. Excavated and resolved.

Site XXIII: Oranmore, spread of post-medieval rubble
This was formerly thought to have been associated with the demolition of a 17th-century Jacobean style mansion, shown in an 18th-century engraving, but it is now thought to be associated with the 1950s renovation work on the nearby Oranmore Castle. A field wall at the seaward side of the site is modern and incorporates pieces of concrete and 19th-century cut stone. Post-medieval pottery, slates, ridge-tiles etc. occurred.

Site XXIV: Oranmore, spread of midden material
This site has been archaeologically resolved. It produced a glass bead of uncertain date, midden material (bone, shell) and some struck chert.

Site XXV: Oranmore, clay 'floor' that produced some struck chert
This site has yet to be cleaned to establish its extent and whether a red area is a hearth and habitation. Prehistoric worked chert occurs. Some possible areas of cobbling may occur. This site will be returned to under separate licence.

Site XXVI: Oranmore, a possible lintel grave or industrial 'furnace'
This area, with an area of dense burning around it, has been cleaned but not yet fully excavated. The site has produced burnt bone and prehistoric chert to date.

Site XXVII: Oranmore, truncated embankment
This seems to be a field embankment attached to (and later than) a nearby ring-barrow. A pair of ditches flank the embankment. Only 2.8m of its length occurs within the way-leave. It has produced a barbed-and-tanged arrowhead, thumbnail scrapers, chert debitage and other prehistoric material and will be returned to under a separate licence.

Site XXVIII: Oranmore, field-wall system or possible enclosures with possible 'lintel graves'
This is a complex of sites that extends across the way-leave and includes field walls and hut-like features. It lies close to Gerry Walsh's Site 9, which produced a thumbnail scraper and other worked chert artefacts. The site extends the entire width of the way-leave and beyond it. Work is to continue here under separate licence.

Site XXIX: Oranmore, burnt stone spreads and midden material
Burnt stone and midden material occurs in several irregular spreads. It is suggested that this material should be archaeologically resolved. A separate licence has been applied for.

Site XXX: Oranmore, cobbled area, midden material, possible pit
A small midden spread is visible, and machine tracking has partially exposed and damaged a cobbled surface. Cleaning of this surface has produced a spindle whorl, debitage from chert working, half of the butt-end of a polished stone axehead and the front end of another that was later cut down and reworked. A stone flake may have come from a further axehead.

A separate licence to fully resolve this site has been applied for.

Site XXXI: Oranmore, field embankments and a series of field clearance cairns
The site consists of a series of field embankments and clearance cairns. These appear (from finds of glass and pottery) to be 18th and 19th century in date. The extent to which this site impinges on Site XXX is as yet unknown, and it is suggested that the intervening area, some 10m wide, should be test-trenched to resolve this issue. Recently about half of a Mesolithic Bann flake was found nearby in a disturbed context. A separate licence has been applied for for this site.

Site XXXII: Oranmore, midden
In the road leading to Oranmore Castle a small midden spread was found. It has been archaeologically resolved.

Site XXXIII: Roscam, midden spread and slight embankment
To date, this site has produced post-medieval pottery. Its extent and features are still to be established. It seems to be modern and has produced pieces of late milk crocks. The site is to be resolved next year.

Site XXXIV: Roscam, midden
Thin deposit, no finds; archaeologically resolved.

Site XXXV: Oranmore, spread of chert artefacts and stone-kerbed feature
The small kerbed feature seems to be too small to be a hut-site and may be field clearance or possibly a very unusual burial mound. The adjacent area has been stripped of topsoil and cleaned. Apparent deliberately laid 'cobbling' occurred between areas of limestone bedrock; some of this may have been due to field clearance or agriculture. Much evidence of chert working including thumbnail scrapers and other side-scrapers occurred.

Part of the stone-kerbed area is artificial, the rest is deliberately kerbed by linear groupings of small stones. A separate licence to excavate these sites was applied for.

Site XXXVI: Oranmore, chert debitage
This area on the outcrop was stripped by hand. Chert debitage from lithic manufacture occurred within the crevices between the outcrop.

Site XXXVII: Oranmore, as XXVI
A further area like Site XXVI was hand-stripped. Examination of the soil between the rock outcrop produced no artefacts whatsoever.

'St Gerard's', 18 College Road, Galway