2002:1646 - DRUMCLIFF SOUTH, Sligo

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Sligo Site name: DRUMCLIFF SOUTH

Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 01E0154 ext.

Author: Richard Crumlish

Site type: No archaeology found

Period/Dating: N/A

ITM: E 567718m, N 841657m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.322624, -8.496214

Monitoring of the excavation for fencing-post bases adjacent to the round tower at Drumcliff, Co. Sligo, was carried out on 4 November 2002. The proposed works are within the constraint zone of ecclesiastical remains, SMR 8:84, and, specifically, adjacent to the round tower, SMR 8:84(03). Previous testing (Excavations 2001, No. 1163) revealed two cuts of unknown date and function.

The fencing off of an area around the round tower involved the excavation of 67 post bases in two separate areas. Ten bases were excavated to the south-east of the round tower in a 16.5m-long section. The bases, 1.8m apart, were 0.6–0.8m long, 0.4–0.5m wide and 0.5–0.6m deep. The remaining 57 bases were excavated to the north-west of the tower in a 102m-long section. Also 1.8m apart, they were 0.5–0.9m long, 0.3–0.6m wide and 0.6–0.75m deep.

The stratigraphy encountered to the south-east of the round tower was topsoil, up to 0.2m thick, below which was a friable, brown/grey, sandy loam, up to 0.2m thick. Below the sandy loam was firm, orange/brown, loamy sand. The stratigraphy to the north-west of the tower was topsoil, up to 0.3m thick, above friable, brown/grey, sandy loam, up to 0.3m thick. Below the sandy loam was firm, orange/grey/brown clay loam. The sandy loam was disturbed in places because of its proximity to the recently constructed boundary wall. The concrete bases of the previous fence along the boundary were visible in a number of the excavated bases, up to 0.4m below the surface.

Occasional modern pottery fragments, one base sherd of modern or post-medieval date, occasional oyster shell fragments, modern glass bottles and bits of plastic were retrieved from the topsoil and the sandy loam. Nothing of archaeological significance was uncovered.

61 An Cladrach, Castlebar Road, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo