County: Sligo Site name: CALTRAGH (Sites 2 and 3)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 00E0859
Author: Sébastien Joubert
Site type: Fulacht fia
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 568993m, N 836528m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.276610, -8.476089
A fulacht fiadh was uncovered, in association with the Caltragh Sewerage Scheme, during the second week of July 2000. The site measured 20m north–south by 10m. Following the monitoring of the removal of the topsoil, traces of a burnt mound were observed. It occurred at c. 0.3m below the surface and had a minimum thickness of 0.4m. It is estimated that half of the site still survives outside the edge of the wayleave for the pipe-laying. There was no trace of a trough or hearth. Both may survive outside the wayleave.
Following the removal of the burnt mound, further features were found beneath it. These consisted of several wide cuts or pit-like features truncating the subsoil. They extended for a length of 25m to the south of the excavated site. The pits were filled with a sterile, greyish-brown, sandy clay. It was suspected that the cuts may have been extraction pits.
The southern part of the site was preserved in situ, and the pipeline was rerouted.
Seamount, Upper Rosses, Rosses Point, Co. Sligo
