County: Mayo Site name: LOWPARK
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A020/012, E3338
Author: Richard F. Gillespie, for Mayo County Council
Site type: Enclosure, Souterrain and Pit
Period/Dating: Medieval (AD 400-AD 1600)
ITM: E 547195m, N 800655m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.952518, -8.804480
This site was excavated between 1 August and 5 May 2006. It was newly identified during centreline testing (A020/003) and was fully excavated in advance of the construction of the N5 Charlestown bypass. Features dating to the Early and Late Neolithic, Bronze Age and medieval periods were identified on this excavation.
The prehistoric phases consisted of pits dug into the natural subsoil, with pottery, lithics, burnt/cremated bone and charcoal included in their fills.
Six pits containing Early Neolithic pottery and lithics and a series of shallow linear trenches (possibly the remains of a structure) were excavated. All the Neolithic pottery from these features was diagnostic bone-tempered ware including western Neolithic round-bottomed bowl sherds.
The Late Neolithic features area included a series of fourteen pits 40m west of the main site at 83m OD. Finds from these pits included numerous sherds of Late Neolithic pottery, an assemblage of flint and chert artefacts, a miniature polished stone axehead and frequent small fragments of burnt bone. More than 1600 sherds were recovered from one pit.
One large pit included a token deposit of sherds of a Bronze Age food vessel in association with burnt bone (possibly cremated human bone).
The medieval palisaded enclosure included three palisade trenches, ranging in diameter from 30m to 44m at 85m OD. Two of these were adjacent and are likely to have been contemporary. Palisade 1 enclosed the main area of archaeological activity, including a drystone-walled souterrain, a large sunken stone-lined chamber, a smaller stone-lined keyhole-shaped pit and a series of smaller features. There was extensive evidence for ironworking and an L-shaped trench that may also have held structural elements.
The ironworking was a relatively early feature of the site. There were four main ironworking areas, three of which had definite structural evidence and nine additional pits containing ironworking evidence; 1.34 tonnes of iron slag were retrieved. Four large stones with concave surfaces, which may have been used for crushing ore, were identified. A selection of corroded iron objects, three blow hole blocks/tuyères, vitrified clay linings and hammer scale point towards significant ironworking industry.
The L-shaped foundation trench was earlier than the palisade trenches. It consisted of a slot-trench that was 12m by 7m. This may be the remains of the foundation trench of a large rectangular structure or enclosure.
The souterrain consisted of a linear passage, with a slightly wider chamber at its western end, lined with drystone walls. It was 12m long and had maximum dimensions of 1.05m wide by 1.4m deep (internal) with up to fifteen courses of dry masonry. It had steps at both ends, indicating possible access points. The side walls also had nine post cavities, including four pairs of opposing cavities. A copper-alloy pin and a corroded iron knife were present in the fill.
The sunken rectangular chamber had maximum dimensions of 11.25m by 5.75m by 2m deep. It contained a rectangular drystone-built structure. The walls had two opposing pairs of post cavities similar to the souterrain. A break in the wall and rough stone facing continuing outside the structure indicates a possible entrance feature in the east-north-east corner. Artefacts from the fill of this structure include three corroded iron objects, possibly knives, and a bronze ring pin. A large quernstone and a possible bullaun stone were incorporated into the fabric of the stone wall.
The stone-lined keyhole-shaped pit measured 3.4m by 2.4m and was 0.8m deep at the narrow end and 1.4m deep at the wider end. It was lined with randomly coursed unshaped boulders. An unusual arrangement of stone slabs occurred at the base of the pit, measuring 0.8m by 0.4m by 0.3m deep. The fills included a miniature polished stone axehead, a fragment of a burnt bone pin and a corroded iron artefact.
Five post-holes were excavated adjacent to the keyhole-shaped pit. Four of these formed an arc, which, if extended to a circle, would have a diameter of 8m and may have held posts of a house. The fifth post-hole was associated with this arc but was not in line with the others. Its fill included a small gold filigree artefact of twisted wire and foil.
Westport Road, Castlebar, Co. Mayo
