County: Galway Site name: RATHGLASS
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A024/3.25–3.26
Author: Marta Muñiz Pérez, for CRDS Ltd, Unit 4, Dundrum Business Park, Dundrum, Dublin 14.
Site type: Prehistoric settlement
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 567549m, N 726108m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.284301, -8.486632
This excavation was undertaken as part of testing for the proposed N6 Galway–Ballinasloe road scheme, Contract 3, which consisted of the excavation of test-trenches with mechanical diggers over a distance of c. 15km. The work was commissioned by the Galway County Council National Roads Design Office and sponsored by the National Roads Authority.
Testing here was carried out between 10 and 15 November 2005. The site was spread out across 250m on the top of a low hill. It was originally found during the centre-line test excavations and was given two different numbers (A24/3.25 and A24/3.26) before being designated a single site.
A total of c. 3200m2 was excavated and some 89 features were identified in four distinct areas. These consisted mainly of pits, post-holes, slot-trenches and stake-holes and appeared to represent the remains of a prehistoric settlement. The areas were numbered from east to west.
Area 1 was located on the north-east slope of the hill. An area of 184m2 was stripped and eight archaeological features were exposed. These consisted of circular pits of 0.5m diameter containing charcoal. These pits were arranged in a curvilinear pattern, suggesting that they may have been part of a structure.
Area 2 lay 30m to the west, where 410m2 were stripped. Thirty-two features were exposed, including post-holes, circular pits and stake-holes. This group of features was interpreted as the remains of a square structure.
Area 3 lay 20m further west. This consisted of fifteen features, of which at least two circular pits contained charcoal and cremated bone. These may be domestic refuse or, more likely, cremation pits. One concave chert scraper was recovered from this area.
Area 4 was uncovered c. 150m further west. This consisted of 34 features, mainly stake-holes and pits, some of which contained burnt bone and charcoal. The clusters of stake-holes may be the remains of structures.
The four areas uncovered presented similar characteristics and were interpreted as part of a prehistoric, possibly Bronze Age, settlement landscape concentrated on and around a ridge of high ground.
