County: Sligo Site name: CARROWMORE
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 14:209 Licence number: 99E0151 ext.
Author: Stefan Bergh
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 565949m, N 833890m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.252719, -8.522516
Monitoring of the excavation of foundations for an extension to an existing dwelling-house was carried out. The site was located on the north-east/south-west-running ridge at the north-eastern end of the Carrowmore passage tomb cemetery, Co. Sligo. The area where monitoring under this licence was carried out in 1999 (Excavations 1999, 273) is immediately to the south-west of the house, and both are located on the same ridge and form the same topographical location. At least seven megalithic monuments have been recorded on this ridge (SMR 14:2091–7); the nearest monument is c. 150m to the north-east of the present site. The nearest monuments south of the site are located just on the other side of the Sligo–Ransboro road, c. 80m away (SMR 14:20912–15).
The existing house was to be extended 8m to the north by c. 12m. This area consists of a flat lawn to a distance of c. 15m north of the house, at which point the ground drops steeply c. 7m to a low point c. 25m away from the house. The extension was to include a subterranean floor, which meant that excavation was carried out down to a depth of c. 4m below present ground level.
The area was excavated with a machine with a toothless bucket. Under the topsoil, c. 0.3m deep, a substantial layer of infill material was present, consisting of stones (0.2–0.5m) and gravel. The depth of the infill varied between 0.3m and 0.8m below the topsoil. Under the infill, original ground consisting of moraine with a high content of stones was recorded. Nothing of archaeological significance was recorded.
Rockville, Culleenamore, Co. Sligo
