County: Mayo Site name: FAULEENS
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A020/038, E3353
Author: Agnes Kerrigan, for Mayo County Council
Site type: Fulacht fia
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 552954m, N 800624m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.952795, -8.716748
Excavations were undertaken on two fulachta fiadh from 25 November 2005 to 10 February 2006. The areas were newly identified during the centreline testing (A020/003) and were fully excavated in advance of the construction of the N5 Charlestown bypass. The fulachta fiadh were located on low-lying blanket peat with a thickness of c. 1.5m. The topography was one of higher ground draining into low-lying marshy areas that had subsequently formed blanket peat deposits. Area I consisted of a large irregular-shaped mound and two wooden troughs. Area II had a classic horseshoe-shaped mound and one wooden trough.
Area I
The mound was roughly horseshoe-shaped and measured 16m north-west/south-east by 9m. The mound overlay two wooden troughs, A and B, and an area of wooden posts/stakes. The site was located at an altitude of 107m OD. A peat deposit overlay Trough A. The mound had a base layer of moderately compacted fire-cracked stones in a clayey silt matrix that measured 7.2m north-west/south-east by 9m by 0.05–0.4m thick. A compact dark-brown layer of fire-cracked stones in a clayey silt matrix overlay the base layer. It measured 11.4m north-west/south-east by 9m by 0.1m-0.48m thick.
Trough A was rectangular-shaped, wood-lined and orientated east–west. It had internal dimensions of 1.68m east–west by 0.96m by 0.4–0.53m deep. The trough was cut into a layer of peat, with the corner posts driven through the peat into the natural subsoil. The trough had been filled by a layer of peat. Only two corner posts and a side timber survived on the southern side of the trough. The north side of the trough was the most complete, with two base timbers and several side timbers surviving in situ.
Two large flat stones were noted in situ on the west and the north sides. The stone on the western side (0.44m north–south by 0.4m) overlay the upper timbers. The stone on the northern side (0.2m north–south by 0.34m) lay underneath the uppermost side timber.
The trough was of split roundwoods, several held in place by corner posts and wedges. There was evidence for a moss lining along the sides of the trough. It may have functioned as a filter for the ground-water.
A piece of a burnt flint (possible) scraper was retrieved from the site.
Trough B had a unique wooden construction. It was orientated north-east/south-west and lay c. 5m to the east of Trough A. It had internal dimensions of 1.98–2m north-east/south-west by 0.28–0.3m by 0.4m deep and was filled with peat, which overlay a mix of burnt stones and charcoal on the south side. The trough construction consisted of three large split planks, one on either side and one on the base, and smaller split planks at the ends. The three planks showed substantial evidence of working with adzes/axes.
A series of posts and stakes held the southern end plank in position. Several of the posts had been driven 0.25–0.35m into the natural compact subsoil to provide a stable footing for the structure. A semicircular line of wooden stakes on the west side flanked the trough, possibly functioning as a windbreak. There were groups of posts and stakes on the south-west side adjacent to the trough end, which had a roughly rectangular pattern.
Area II
A second fulacht fiadh was identified during drainage work associated with Area I. It was situated 29m west and 6m north of Area I at an altitude of 106m OD. The mound had a classic horseshoe shape, opening to the north-west. It measured 8.2m north-east/south-west by 5.1m and was composed of fire-cracked stone in a clayey silt with a depth of 0.08–0.52m. A well-preserved subrectangular wood-lined trough orientated north-west/south-east was located in the central area of the mound and was filled by fire-cracked stones in a clayey silt matrix.
The internal dimensions of the trough were 1.5m-1.86m north-west/south-east by 0.84–1.1m by 0.2–0.25m deep. The trough was constructed using split roundwoods and planks held in place by corner posts. An interesting feature, a small incised ‘x’, was noted on the underside of the centre base plank. This was a deliberate mark and may either have been to distinguish the centre plank from the flanking planks for the construction of the structure or was the mark of the wood carver. A concentration of posts was noted in the south-east and south-west corners of the structure, several of which were angled inwards, which may suggest a covering of some type or a windbreak in this area.
Drummin, Westport, Co. Mayo
