2000:0893 - LARASS, OR STRANDHILL, Sligo

This excavation, carried out between 19 June and 18 July 2000, involved a rescue excavation at a site in advance the realignment of the R292 Sligo– Strandhill road, in Larass (or Strandhill) townland, Co. Sligo. The excavation was carried out following the discovery of a number of features during monitoring of topsoil-stripping in advance of the realignment (see Excavations 2000, No. 892). The features consisted of sixteen shell middens, two ditches, three pits, a band of shell, a culvert and the ruins of a house. Three areas were investigated during the course of this excavation.

Area A contained the band of shell, the culvert, the ruins of the house and the sixteen shell middens. Two cuttings were excavated across the band of shell. Cutting 1 was 17m south of the existing R292, 1m from the western field boundary, and measured 4.5m east–west by 1.5m. Cutting 2 was 5m north of Cutting 1 and measured 4.5m east–west by 1.5m. The culvert, the ruins of the house and the shell middens were excavated with the assistance of a mechanical digger. During the removal of a large spoilheap in this area, a second, smaller culvert was discovered.

Both culverts were found below a loose, mid-brown, loamy sand that covered the entire area, 0.3–0.4m in thickness, which in turn was located below the topsoil. The larger culvert extended east–west out of the field boundary for 4m, before turning north-east/south-west for 7m, then east-north-east/west-south-west for 2m and finally north-north-west/south-south-east for 3m, where it joined the north-north-western wall of the house ruins. It was 0.67m wide and 0.33m high. The smaller culvert extended for 27m in a east–west direction from a spoilheap at the north-western end of the area. It was 0.2–0.24m wide and up to 0.2m high. The ruins of the house were located below the topsoil and consisted of two to three courses of the four walls, constructed of irregularly coursed rubble and red brick. It measured 7.6m east-north-east/west-south-west by 6m and was 0.3–0.75m in external height. The walls measured 0.7m in thickness, and there was evidence of a doorway, 1m wide, in the west-south-west wall. The interior was covered in collapse and contained a shell midden. The sixteen shell middens were below the topsoil and the loamy sand. Excavation revealed their thickness, which ranged from 0.1m to 0.6m (see Excavations 2000, No. 892 for further description). Boulder clay was located over the entire area at the base of the stratigraphy.

The band of shell was located below the loose, mid-brown, loamy sand and consisted of friable, dark brown, sandy silt loam with frequent oyster, mussel, periwinkle and cockle shells. Within the cuttings it measured 3–3.54m in width and up to 1m in thickness. The band of shell was one of seven fills of a ditch. The second fill consisted of a plastic, brown/grey (with rust staining) silt loam. It was found in Cutting 1, where it measured 1.6m east–west, 1.5m in width and up to 0.14m in thickness. The third fill consisted of a firm, dark brown silt loam with occasional shell and was found in Cutting 1, where it measured 1.7–3m east–west, 1.5m in width and up to 0.7m in thickness. The fourth fill consisted of a firm, grey/brown, sandy loam and was found on the eastern side of Cutting 2, where it measured 1.7m east–west (max.), 1.5m in width and 0.22m in maximum thickness. The fifth fill consisted of a friable, light brown, sandy silt loam and was in the western half of Cutting 2, where it measured 1.2–1.35m east–west, 1.5m in width and 1.1m in maximum thickness. The sixth fill consisted of a thin band of shell and small stones and was in the eastern half of Cutting 1, where it measured 1.8m east–west, 1.5m in width and 0.1m in maximum thickness. The basal fill of the ditch consisted of firm, light brown, sandy silt loam. It was found in Cutting 1, where it measured 3.3m east–west (max.), 1.5m in width and 0.06–0.52m in thickness. The ditch was orientated north–south and was flat-bottomed. It was 3.2–3.8m wide and 0.8–1.45m deep and was cut into boulder clay.

Area B contained one of the two ditches. Four cuttings were excavated across this ditch. Cutting 1 was sited 2.4m from the south-eastern end of the area and 0.9m from the south-western side. It measured 2.5m north-east/south-west and 1.5m in width. Cutting 2 was 1.2m from the south-western side of the area and 1.1m from the north-western end. It measured 4.5m west-north-west/east-south-east and 1.5m in width. Cutting 3 was 1m from the north-eastern side of the area and 0.5m from the north-western end. It measured 2.5–2.7m north-west/south-east and 1.3–1.4m in width. Cutting 4 was 1.8m from the north-eastern side of the area and 5.1m from the north-western end. It measured 2m north-north-east/south-south-west and 1.4–1.5m in width.

Excavation showed that the ditch was actually two separate ditches that intersect. The first, larger ditch was filled with a dark brown, friable silt loam (found directly below the topsoil), which measured 14m in length, 0.9–1.05m in width and 0.2m in maximum thickness. It also contained a basal fill consisting of grey/brown, firm, sandy silt loam, which was also visible on either side of the ditch. The basal fill measured 2.36m north-east/south-west, 0.5–1.5m in width and 20–90mm in thickness. The first ditch was orientated north-west/south-east for 8.5m, entering the area at 2.4m from the southern corner, before turning north-east/south-west for its remaining 5.5m in length. It was shallow and flat-bottomed and measured 1m wide and 0.09–0.22m deep. The second ditch was filled with grey, friable, sandy silt loam and measured 13m north-west/south-east, 0.5–0.74m in width and 0.06–0.18m in depth. This ditch entered the area at 0.9m from the eastern corner. It was shallow and flat-bottomed and cut through the first ditch near its north-western end. It was 0.3–0.8m wide and 0.06–0.18m deep. Bedrock was found in one small area along the base of the smaller ditch. Both ditches were cut into natural subsoil.

Area C contained the second of the two ditches and the three pits. Three cuttings were excavated across the ditch, while two cuttings were opened to investigate the three pits. Cutting 1 was located 5.3m from the southern side of the proposed realignment, at 9.5m from the south-western end of the ditch, and measured 2.6–2.9m north-west/south-east and 2m in width. Cutting 2 was 11m north-east of Cutting 1 and measured 2.8m north-west/south-east and 2m in width. Cutting 3 was 7m north-east of Cutting 2 and measured 3.9–4m north-west/south-east and 2m in width. Cutting 4 was opened to investigate the first pit. It was 1m south of Cutting 1 and measured 4m west-south-west/east-north-east and 2m in width. Cutting 5 was opened to investigate the remaining two pits. It was 0.2m north of Cutting 4 and 0.3m east of Cutting 1. It measured 2.4m north–south and 1.4m in width.

Excavation produced evidence of a ditch filled with a mid-/dark brown, firm silt loam with occasional moderate large stones and moderate shell. It was found directly below the topsoil. The ditch was orientated north–south along its southern half, turning north-north-east/south-south-west in its northern half; it was 37m long, 0.92–1.85m wide and 0.4–0.5m deep. It was cut into natural subsoil and grey boulder clay. The upper fills of the three pits were of similar composition to the fill of the ditch. These were also located below the topsoil. The first pit was oval and measured 2.5m north-east/south-west, 1m in width (max.) and 0.1m in depth (max). The second pit was roughly circular and measured 0.94–0.98m in diameter and 0.35m in depth. The third pit was also roughly circular and measured 0.76–0.86m in diameter and 0.18m in depth. All three pits were cut into the natural subsoil. The second and third pits had basal fills. The fill in the second pit consisted of grey/orange/brown, firm, sandy silt loam with occasional beach-rolled stones. It measured 0.9–0.92m in diameter and 0.04–0.2m in thickness. The basal fill of the third pit was the same as the previous basal fill and measured 0.74–0.8m in diameter and 0.09m in maximum thickness.

Interpretation of these features will depend on the results of specialists’ reports, which are not yet available.

Purcell House, Oranmore, Co. Galway