County: Mayo Site name: CLOONAGHBOY
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A020/005, E3333
Author: Richard F. Gillespie for Mayo County Council
Site type: Burnt pit
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 540460m, N 800467m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.950099, -8.907046
This site was excavated between 18 and 31 May 2005. It was newly identified during centreline testing (A020/003) and was fully excavated in advance of the construction of the N5 Charlestown bypass. The area of archaeological potential measured 16m by 5m. It consisted of eight burnt pits or deposits that rested on or were cut into the subsoil and were overlain by topsoil which was 0.5–0.85m thick. These burnt features are likely to be part of a larger area of archaeological activity which continued beyond the road-take. Unfortunately, further remains are unlikely to survive, as the adjacent field has been extensively disturbed by a quarry.
Due to the surface truncation from ploughing, the features were extremely shallow, consisting of patches of charcoal overlying oxidised subsoil. This suggests that these features were burnt in situ. A stratified find of worked flint suggests a prehistoric date for the site. Charcoal from this site should provide a radiocarbon date.
Westport Road, Castlebar, Co. Mayo
