County: Mayo Site name: BARREEL
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 05E0807
Author: Tara O’Neill, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Site type: Habitation site and Kiln - corn-drying
Period/Dating: Early Medieval (AD 400-AD 1099)
ITM: E 528180m, N 776395m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.732258, -9.088457
The site was excavated in June 2005 as part of the programme of resolution of archaeological sites on the route of the proposed Galway–Mayo gas pipeline. Monitoring of topsoil-stripping by Stephen Linnane under licence number 05E0584 (see No. 1096, Excavations 2005) revealed a cluster of pits. Excavation was therefore undertaken and four cereal-drying kilns were identified. These features were keyhole-shaped; they had a bowl structure and flue. The bowls averaged between 1.5–1.7m in diameter and the flues had maximum lengths of 2m. One of the bowls was stone-lined and the flues cut through each other. A rubbing stone was recovered from the fill of one of the features. The kilns were broadly contemporary and appeared to be enclosed by a structure 7m in diameter. It consisted of seven post-holes averaging between 0.2–0.5m in diameter. An internal post-hole of similar dimensions was noted. A large refuse pit 1.95m by 1m by 0.64m containing large quantities of animal bone was located outside the structure. Three shallow pits were located close by, one of which was filled with copper alloy rivets. The site was truncated by agricultural furrows and field boundaries. Sherds of medieval pottery were also recovered from the site. Preliminary evidence would suggest that this site is early medieval in date. The results of radiocarbon analysis are awaited.
Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth
