County: Longford Site name: DERRAGH
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 03E0942
Author: Christina Fredengren, The Discovery Programme
Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Mesolithic (8000 BC-4001 BC)
ITM: E 639912m, N 778793m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.757221, -7.394755
The Lake Settlement Project has discovered a quite well-preserved Mesolithic wetland site along the shores of Lough Kinale that has the potential of providing information on much wider aspects of people's lives in the Mesolithic period. Not only the artefacts in their context, but foremost the organic remains carry the potential of a much richer understanding of the Irish Mesolithic period.
Investigations have revealed a rise in the lakebed, measuring c. 18m in diameter. The 10m by 3m-long trench which was opened in 2003 (Excavations 2003, No. 1205) was extended by 14m2 in 2004 and has shown layers of gravel, wood, peat, charcoal and ashes. Animal bone, both burnt and unburnt, as well as a large amount of hazelnut shells were also found. Radiocarbon dates have indicated a Mesolithic date. At lower levels the edges of the site consisted of composed brushwood and timbers that seemed to have been pegged in places. A very fine-tuned stratigraphy of ash spreads and hearths shows that fires on numerous occasions were burning on this little island and that it was returned to many times.
Excavations started during the summer of 2003 and continued in 2004. They may continue in coming seasons.
34 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2
