2006:825 - MACKNEY, Galway

This was one of several excavations undertaken for Galway County Council and the National Roads Authority which form part of a wider excavation programme undertaken within c. 15 km of the proposed N6 Galway to Ballinasloe dual carriageway scheme (Contract 4).

The enclosure measures 58m north–south by 55m. Test excavations undertaken by Martin Jones (Excavations 2004, No. 703, 04E0866) confirmed the presence of a large external ditch and the site is probably best described as a large denuded ringfort. The entrance to the ringfort is located in the east-north-east sector of the enclosure. It is defined by a 6.6m wide causeway running between two rounded and steep-sided ditch termini. Two ringforts in Loughbown townland are located 1700m to the west; they have also been excavated as part of this project (Loughbown I and II, see Nos 818 and 819, Excavations 2006).

Ridge and furrows
A series of parallel ridge and furrows aligned approximately east–west were revealed directly below the sod and topsoil across the interior of the ringfort. The furrows were up to 0.4m wide and 0.2m deep. They were filled with topsoil and stones. The ridges were up to 1.8m wide and rose in height towards the centre, where there was as little as 0.1m of sod and topsoil covering the stony/gravel cultivation surface. The east–west ridge-and-furrow pattern was discernible across the majority of the site, with the exception of the northern portion of the north-east and north-west quadrants.

The north–south furrow pattern was only revealed once the cultivation level between the east–west furrows had been reduced to the interface with the underlying natural subsoil. The north–south pattern was not as consistent or regular as the east–west pattern. The furrows were up to 0.6m wide and the interval between furrows was up to 1m wide.

A series of five subrectangular to oval shallow pits ranging in size from 3.8m by 1.3m to 1.47m by 1m were excavated in the north-west quadrant. The north–south furrows appeared to respect the pits and it is possible that they are contemporary with the furrows. The pits were possibly used as potato clamps or storage pits.

Three semicircular cuts were identified around the circumference of the enclosure. All three had been cut into the line of the enclosing bank and partially through the ditch fills. The cuts ranged in size from 4m to 10m in diameter and all three were flat-bottomed. It would appear that the cuts represent small quarries used to harvest the underlying sand and gravel. The quarries appear to be relatively late, as they were cut through the upper fills of the ditch, which have been interpreted as being early 19th-century in date.

A large pit measuring 3.42m long and 0.74m deep was excavated in the north-west quadrant. The feature was half-sectioned by the central north–south baulk. Two pieces of apparently post-medieval pottery were recovered from the lowest fills, suggesting that the pit is late in date.

Children’s burial-ground
The excavated ditch sections reveal a series of complex deposits representing the construction use and backfilling of a large, generally V-shaped enclosing ditch. The ditch was up to 6m wide and between 1.75m and 3.1m deep. The excavated ditch sections showed evidence of deliberate backfilling. It is possible that the bank was levelled and that the bank material was used to fill the upper levels of the ditch. This deliberate levelling of the ditch may correspond with the use of the enclosure for ridge-and-furrow cultivation. The emergence of Mackney Estate at the turn of the 18th century and the proximity of the courtyard and stables to the enclosure may suggest that the cultivation of the enclosure space and the filling of the ditch date to a contemporary time period. The backfilling of the ditch may also represent a deliberate termination of the use of the site as a children’s burial-ground.

A thick continuous stone deposit identified around the southern half of the ditch seals a burial level within the ditch that contained over 100 burials. The layer had a maximum depth of 0.6m and was encountered at c. 1.2m below the surface level.

A stone deposit at the centre of some of the ditch sections and overlying the lowest ditch deposits may be the remnants of an outer bank revetment wall. A series of deposits towards the base of the ditch represent slip deposits and deposits associated with the natural silting up of the base of the ditch.

The ringfort was primarily reused as a space for infant burials; 23 infant burials were excavated in the south-east quadrant. The burials were all aligned approximately east–west and cut the north–south furrow pattern.

A total of 117 burials were recorded in the ditch. These were all located at a depth of at least 1.2m from the surface of the backfilled ditch. The majority of the burials were in a 15m stretch of the ditch located in the south-west sector. The burial layer extended in less concentration around the arc of the ditch, with some outliers to the east and west. The majority of the burials were aligned east–west; however, some of the outliers were aligned north–south following the line of the ditch, although a number of burials were also orientated west–east. The preservation levels of the skeletal remains varied considerably. Burial cuts and fills were not always distinguishable during excavation. Evidence for the use of coffins was revealed in some of the burials in the form of coffin nails and wooden remains from some of the coffins. Shroud pins and in some cases shroud textile were also recovered. Four adult burials were excavated among the outliers of the burial layer within the ditch. One of these burials had its arms behind its head and its legs flexed and contorted.

One half of a well-preserved Henry III silver penny and a socketed arrowhead were recovered from the upper fills of the ditch. These finds indicate some form of activity at the site during the 13th century. It is possible that these finds may be related to a series of furnace bottoms that were also recovered form the same upper ditch deposits.

Ringfort interior
Excavation of the ringfort interior revealed a range of internal features that survived the two recognised phases of cultivation. These features were cut into the underlying stony sandy gravel subsoil. Two definite structures and a possible third were identified within the south-east quadrant. A shallow circular trench, c. 6m in diameter with an entrance gap to the north-east, is interpreted as the remains of a circular house. Two post-holes were identified either side of the entrance. Four post-holes were identified within the trench to the north and these were opposed by five post-holes within the trench to the south. Eleven internal post-holes were excavated. Within the trench to the east, the remains of a foundation slot were also excavated. Two larger internal pits were excavated prior to the identification of the round house and their relationship with the structure remains unclear. A possible lean-to structure was excavated just to the south of the ringfort entrance. It consisted of a shallow foundation trench with an entrance to the west and was positioned against the line of the bank to the east. This possible structure measured 7.5m north–south by 4.5m. It had an internal hearth and degraded occupation surfaces may have been identified. Towards the south of the site a shallow arced trench, 2.5m long, was identified. It was disturbed by later burials and the cultivation patterns. A projected diameter for the curved trench is c. 5m. The projected line of the curved trench would have contained six internal post-holes. This possible structure was very similar to the complete circular house excavated to the north.

To the south-east of the site, just inside the line of the projected bank, a series of pits, post-holes, hearths, fire-pits and possible metalworking features were excavated. The relationships, date and possible function of these features have yet to be established.

In the lee of the bank to the north of the entrance a series of pits, fire-pits, hearths and post-holes were excavated. Slag, furnace bottoms and heat-shattered stones were associated with these features, suggesting that they were associated with metalworking processes.

Approximately 5m to the north of the circular house structure, and located in the north-east quadrant, a large subcircular pit measuring 2.6m long and 1.4m deep was excavated. The pit contained a number of fills, from which animal bone, shell, slag and a piece of flint were recovered. A series of smaller, shallower pits surround this large pit to the north.

More than 30 post-holes and pits were excavated in the north-east quadrant in an area measuring 6m north–south by 10m. Some of these pits and post-holes were sealed by a layer of orange/brown silty clay. Definite evidence for double post-holes was also identified. Once the post-holes and pits have been grouped and phased during the post-excavation process, it is hoped that some pattern or structure will be discerned.

A large hearth with an associated ash-pit and post-hole were excavated to the north of the post-hole and pit concentration in the north-east quadrant. The overall dimensions of the group of features are c. 2.5m north–south by 2.5m. The group of features possibly represents a domestic hearth related to the post-hole/pit concentration to the south. However, a small amount of slag recovered from some of the fills suggests it may have had an industrial purpose.

A group of six pits was excavated in the north-west quadrant. The pits may have formed some kind of structure, which has been interrupted by the furrow patterns. These pits may be related to a shallow circular pit located c. 5m to the north, which showed evidence for fire scorching and is possibly a fire refuse pit.

A line of three post-holes 0.3m wide and 0.3m deep was located just to the north of the cut for the east–west chamber of the souterrain. The area to the north of the post-holes was disturbed by the furrow pattern and the possible potato clamps.

A small hearth was excavated in the south-west quadrant. Just to the west was a small stake-hole and to the north a post-hole was also identified. The hearth may be associated with the possible second circular structure in the south-east quadrant.

Two roughly parallel gullies run north-east from the souterrain cut. The southern gully is 4.5m long and the northern gully is 3.2m long; they are c. 0.3m wide and 0.2m deep. It is possible that the gullies are related to the construction of the souterrain, as they either run up to the souterrain or they are cut by it.

A substantial number of other features were also excavated across the interior of the ringfort. Some of these may be related to tree-root activity and may not have an archaeological origin. Others are isolated features that, during excavation, did not appear to have any relationship with other features. It is hoped that the function and date of these features can be identified during the post-excavation process.

Souterrain
A beautifully constructed, partly robbed and infilled souterrain was excavated in the south-west quadrant. The souterrain consists of two chambers, one with entrance steps and a connecting drop creep. The northern chamber is aligned east–west and is 7.3m long. To the west it is 1.8m wide and to the east, towards the steep entrance steps, it is 1.44m wide. The chamber has rounded corners and its side walls are randomly coursed and survive to a height of 1.4m. Four individual entrance steps span the width of the eastern end of the chamber.

The connecting creepway is 1.7m long and 0.84m wide. It is covered by a single intact lintel along the line of the east–west chamber and opens out into the larger north–south chamber, which measures 7.3m in length and is 1.8m wide. A corbelled roof survived across the southern end of the chamber. Five large, roughly shaped limestone lintels were supported by a series of lintels placed on the top of and overhanging the side walls and were secured by counterbalance boulders. The roof structure appears to have been sealed by a cement-like lime-rich mixture that acted as a waterproof layer and a stabilising agent. The entrance steps were bonded together using a similar substance. A blocked-up alcove measuring 1.1m in length and 0.7m in width was identified in the western side wall. The alcove had a single roof lintel, which rested on the side walls. Both chambers had a compacted level floor surface.

The lowest fills of the east–west chamber contained small fragments of thin-bedded limestone similar to those used as lintels in the north–south chamber. These fragments are all that remain from the lintels of the east–west chamber. The fills of the souterrain point to a complicated filling sequence. The larger, stone-rich fills, however, are possibly related to the thick stone deposit used to fill the southern half of the ditch.

The upper fills of the souterrain contained modern building debris (e.g. plaster) and gravel and interrupted the east–west furrow pattern. These fills contained interesting glass and ceramic finds, possibly associated with nearby Mackney House.

Ringfort bank
Four sections were cut across the line of the bank. In two of these sections a buried sod layer was identified, which was cut by the digging of the ditch. Very little of the actual bank material remained around the circumference of the site. Where it did survive, it was composed of layered dumps of stone and compacted sand and gravel.

An inner revetment wall was recorded in the northeast quadrant. The wall extended northwards from the entrance for a length of 17.5m. It survived as a single course of large, faced stones c. 0.4m in length and defined a bank area of 3.4m in width. The revetment wall appears to have been built into the bank material. There was no bonding between the stonework and the wall was of fairly crude construction. Three wide gaps in the wall may be a result of the north–south furrow pattern.

Three shallow linear trenches were excavated in the north-east and north-west quadrants. These run at right angles to the line of the bank and do not extend beyond the line of the bank into the interior. The features may be related to the construction of the bank. They are possibly the remains of some form of cross-bracing used to stabilise the bank material.

The entrance to the ringfort is located in the east-north-east sector of the enclosure. It is defined by a 6.6m-wide causeway running between two rounded and steep-sided ditch termini. No other features were identified across the causeway.

Directly inside the line of the ditch, two deep post-holes to the north and south of the entrance gap and a number of pits and gullies possibly mark the foundations of an entrance gateway or structure. To the west of the entrance structure a large irregular pit feature is centrally placed in relation to the causeway. It is an uneven shallow cut feature measuring c. 4m east–west by 3.5m. The function of the pit will be addressed in post-excavation by comparative analysis with other ringfort entrance features.

The three linear trenches initially interpreted as being associated with the bank construction above may also be pre-bank features. A circular fire-pit measuring 0.73m in diameter, and which cuts a smaller possible stake-hole, was identified under a buried sod layer that in turn was cut by the digging of the ringfort ditch.

A small shallow pit measuring 0.48m north–south by 0.22m was identified under the revetment wall in the north-east quadrant. The fill of the pit was a compact grey silty sand with small charcoal flecks. The function of the pit is unclear.

Two related irregular pits containing burnt clay were excavated in the north-west quadrant along the line of the bank. Charcoal flecking was identified in some of the fills, along with a small fragment of vitrified material. No bank material survived in this area, so the features cannot definitely be said to be pre-bank in origin.

The excavation at Mackney ringfort has uncovered a long sequence of activity. Settlement and occupation evidence associated with the use of the ringfort has survived its later reuse as a place of burial and cultivation.

 

Ballycurreen Industrial Estate, Kinsale Road, Cork