County: Clare Site name: CAPPAGH BEG (BGE 3/11/5)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E1469
Author: Emer Dennehy, for Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Burnt spread and Pit
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 537792m, N 682134m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.886481, -8.924326
The site was exposed during monitoring of topsoil-stripping along Section 3 of the Bord Gáis Éireann Pipeline to the West, from Goatisland, Co. Limerick, to Gort, Co. Galway, c. 250m north-east of the road that joins Barefield village to Spancil Hill, Co. Clare. It lies on a raised area of land on the western dry slope of a small valley that extends for over 500m to the north. The base of this valley is covered by blanket bog to a depth of c. 1m.
The burnt-mound spread was initially identified as a semicircular black deposit with fire-cracked stones, measuring 15m north–south by 13m. Further investigation revealed the mound material to have a maximum depth of 0.32m. Two phases were identified at the site. Both episodes had associated pot-boilers. The first, measuring 1.38m north–south by 1.32m, with a depth of 0.47m, was filled with burnt limestone in a dark brown/black silty clay matrix. Associated with this was an arc of six stake-holes to the north. The second pot-boiler was excavated in section, as it continued outside the limits of the Bord Gáis Éireann wayleave. The excavated dimensions were 1.5m north–south by 0.42m deep. Although both pits were dry, there was a ready supply of water from the stream 15m to the east. It is probable that the material generated from the use of this site forms the displaced burnt spread 46.5m to the north, No. 128, Excavations 2002 (02E1470).
2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin
