County: Sligo Site name: KNOCKNASHAMMER OR CLOVER HILL
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 01E1059
Author: Richard Crumlish, Archaeological Services Unit Ltd.
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 566702m, N 832677m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.241872, -8.510829
Pre-development testing on the site of a proposed extension to an existing gravel pit was carried out on 31 October and 1 November 2001 at Clover Hill townland, Co. Sligo.
The proposed development site was in partially wooded rolling grassland and contained a number of mounds and ridges of possible archaeological significance. Martin Timoney excavated a barrow (RMP 14:214) a short distance to the north-west of the development site in the 1970s. The adjacent existing gravel pit was within the constraint area of a second barrow (RMP 14:215). This monument was not extant.
Six trial-trenches were excavated at the site to best cover the area of development, in particular to test the mounds and ridges within the development area. The trenches were 7.5–20m long, 1.2–1.6m wide and 0.2–0.7m deep.
The stratigraphy consisted of topsoil above natural subsoil and a gravel deposit. Two modern artefacts and a small number of animal bone fragments were recovered from the topsoil. The testing revealed natural undisturbed stratigraphy, the mounds and ridges consisting of a gravel deposit of glacial origin.
Purcell House, Claregalway Road, Oranmore, Co. Galway
