County: Galway Site name: RATHGLASS
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A024/3.10
Author: Marta Muñiz Pérez, for CRDS Ltd.
Site type: Kiln and Metalworking site
Period/Dating: Medieval (AD 400-AD 1600)
ITM: E 567857m, N 726128m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.284499, -8.482016
This excavation was undertaken as part of testing for the proposed N6 Galway–Ballinasloe road scheme, Contract 3, commissioned by the Galway County Council National Roads Design Office and sponsored by the National Roads Authority. Work consisted of the excavation of test-trenches with mechanical diggers over a distance of c. 15km. Testing excavation A024/3.10 was carried out between 8 and 10 November 2005.
The site is situated across the north-west slope of a low hill overlooking a river valley on each side, north and south. It commands good views of the surrounding landscape and there is bog within 250m of the site almost in any direction. An earthwork enclosure (SMR 86:214, possibly a moated site) located 100m south-east of the site will not be impacted on by the proposed road. Due to the proximity of this monument, the site was the subject of a geophysical survey. This revealed a pair of anomalies which were interpreted as a possible quarried area.
Twenty trenches were excavated following a pattern designed to test the geophysical anomalies. The excavation of 1300m2 revealed fourteen archaeological features consisting of at least one kiln, a second kiln or possible furnace, five pits related to metalworking, three shallow elongated features containing iron slag and a series of linear features which may form part of a curvilinear enclosing ditch. The area identified as a quarry by geophysics proved to be a keyhole-shaped possible kiln of c. 4m diameter, with a single flue c. 4m long running north-east/south-west.
Two ceramic fragments of the same piece of possible clay furnace lining were recovered from one of the pits. Several samples of iron slag were recovered from the elongated features and from the area. No datable material was recovered. However, the proximity to the possible moated site may suggest a medieval date for this site.
It was recommended that an area of 1500m2 be stripped around these features and that they be fully excavated.
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