1999:App2 - THE LOUGH MASK REGIONAL WATER SUPPLY SCHEME, Stage II, Contract 6, Ballinrobe–Claremorris–Ballindine, Mayo

Archaeological monitoring and excavation on the Lough Mask Regional Water Supply Scheme, Stage II, Contract 6, commenced in December 1994 and were completed in September 1995. Following monitoring of topsoil removal, six areas produced features and/or small finds of archaeological importance.

The archaeological licence issued for this scheme, 94E017, was an extension to that issued for the Ballinrobe Sewerage and Sewage Disposal Scheme (Excavations 1994, 66–8).

Site No. 40—fulacht fiadh, Friarsquarter East
Following topsoil removal, an area of charcoal-enriched soil and fragments of heat-shattered sandstones was exposed in Friarsquarter East townland. The burnt material was very shallow, only c. 0.05m thick. No features or small finds were recovered from the site.

Site No. 41—fulacht fiadh, Cloonnagashel
Following topsoil removal, an area of charcoal-enriched soil and fragments of heat-shattered sandstones measuring 1m x 1.5m was exposed in Cloonnagashel townland. The burnt material was very shallow, only 0.03m thick. No features or small finds were recovered from the site.

Site No. 42—fulacht fiadh, Clareen
Following topsoil removal, an area of charcoal-enriched soil and fragments of heat-shattered sandstones measuring 5m x 4m was exposed on the northern side of the wayleave in the townland of Clareen. The burnt material, which was only 0.05m thick, produced 150 fragments of animal bone, all of which were cattle. One long bone fragment, a femur, had been cut, and this provided the only example of butchery from the site. Seven of the eleven epiphyses were fused, suggesting an animal older than 21/2 years.

Site No. 43—fulacht fiadh, Pollaweela
Following topsoil removal, an area of charcoal-enriched soil and fragments of heat-shattered sandstones measuring 2m x 1.5m was exposed in Pollaweela townland. The burnt material was only 0.04m thick. No features or small finds of archaeological importance were recovered from the site.

Site No. 44—stone scatter, Clare
During topsoil removal a small number of chert flakes were recovered in the townland of Clare.

Site No. 45—Bronze Age settlement site, Leedaun
Two areas, c. 30m apart, produced evidence of Bronze Age activity.

The earliest evidence for human activity in Area I was represented by five ditches that cut into the natural subsoil. While these may be isolated features, it is likely that they represent a number of parallel ditches that ran north-west/south-east across the site.

Overlying these ditches was a layer of redeposited natural soil. The main occupation levels were recorded overlying this redeposited natural and consisted of a general spread of grey, charcoal-enriched soil.

A radiocarbon date of 2121–1750 BC was received from this occupation layer. The occupation layer was bounded on one side by a wide, shallow, curved trench. A concentration of stake-holes, a hearth and a number of horizontal charcoal stains were found immediately to the south-west of this trench.

A total of 263 lithic artefacts were recovered from Area I. These were made predominantly from chert but also from black limestone, flint and quartz. They consisted of 110 flakes, six cores, five blades and nineteen retouched tools. Eleven of the retouched tools were scrapers. Seventy-nine animal bones were recovered. The collection was dominated by cattle bones, with pig and sheep poorly represented. Butchery was noted on cattle humerii only.

Area II, 30m north-east of Area I, also revealed some important archaeological features and small finds. The wayleave here partly truncated a levelled fulacht fiadh. This area was dominated by a series of criss-cross cultivation furrows. Some of these were of recent date, while the remainder were of unknown date. A radiocarbon date of 1606–1400 BC was obtained for a charcoal sample from this area.

A total of 267 lithic artefacts were recovered from Area II. The assemblage mirrored that from Area I, except that the retouched artefacts were somewhat different in that there were less scrapers and more robust flakes.

Ninety-six chert flakes, six cores, five blades and twelve retouched tools were recovered. The finding of a large flint flake and a polished mudstone axe, which are more reminiscent of a Neolithic tradition, was of note. Two single cattle teeth and two very fragmentary prehistoric pottery sherds were also recovered.

Editor’s note: This report had not been published in the relevant Excavations bulletin, and Mr Walsh requested that this error now be put right.

Mayo County Council, Castlebar, Co. Mayo