County: Mayo Site name: SMUTTANAGH
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 05E0872
Author: Eamonn Cotter, for Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd, Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth.
Site type: Fulacht fiadh
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 523187m, N 784630m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.805536, -9.166158
The site was excavated in July 2005 as part of the programme of resolution of archaeological sites on the route of the proposed Galway–Mayo gas pipeline. It comprised two fulachta fiadh, located c. 100m apart.
The first, in Area A, comprised a thin spread of burnt stone, beneath which were three small troughs, C2, C3 and C5. C2 was almost circular in plan, 1.6m in diameter and 0.5m deep. Five pieces of split, waterlogged timber were recovered from its base, each 0.7m long and c. 0.04m thick. The timbers were set in a clay layer at the base and lower sides of the trough and appeared to have been part of a wooden lining with clay caulking. C2 was filled with a series of layers comprising clay, silt, burnt stone and peat. C3 was circular in plan, 1m in diameter and 0.4m deep. It contained a single fill of burnt stone. C5 was oval in plan and measured 1.5m by 1.2m and 0.35m deep. It contained a single fill comprised entirely of peat.
Three troughs were also identified in Area B of the site, beneath a thin spread of burnt stone. All were c. 1m in diameter and c. 0.5m deep and were filled with burnt stone.
