County: Clare Site name: GORTAFICKA (BGE 3/1/1, 3–10)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E1354
Author: Emer Dennehy and Bruce Sutton, for Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Burnt pit and Cremated remains
Period/Dating: Bronze Age (2200 BC-801 BC)
ITM: E 539738m, N 688935m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.947827, -8.896677
The site was exposed during monitoring of topsoil-stripping along the route of Section 3 of the Bord Gáis Éireann Pipeline to the West, from Goatisland, Co. Limerick, to Gort, Co. Galway. The archaeological complex was situated along the top of a drumlin c. 800m long, 200m to the west of and parallel to the N18 between Crusheen and Gort. The wayleave was 30–40m wide and encompassed the width of the hilltop. Similar drumlins were within visible distance. A total of 24 archaeological features in nine closely related sites were excavated, with 84 contexts.
A single cremation burial containing a flint flake and measuring 0.98m east–west by 0.58m by 0.12m deep was found on the southern slope of the drumlin. Nine charcoal-rich features were present, averaging 1.07m by 0.84m by 0.13m deep, eight of which contained evidence of in situ burning. A linear feature extended 1.3m into the site along the western edge of the excavation. It contained three fills similar to topsoil and a small piece of slag. The remaining fourteen pits excavated contained sterile fills and were of little or no archaeological significance.
The similarity of the shallow, charcoal-rich, burnt features over seven areas indicates that they were contemporaneous. The lack of finds means that, although there was evidence of in situ burning, it is not possible to determine the function of the site. This situation is further complicated by the lack of any structural features along the length of the drumlin.
The single cremation burial provided a preliminary interpretative Bronze Age date. Charcoal and burnt bone analysis will enable us to determine whether the burnt pits and cremation were contemporaneous. Soil sample analysis may also give insight into the function of the site.
2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin
