County: Cavan Site name: Gortlaunaght
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 08E0308
Author: Robert M. Chapple, Northern Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, Belfast, BT12 7DY.
Site type: Various
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 619826m, N 824967m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.174531, -7.693536
Five areas of archaeological interest were excavated at this quarry site at Gortnalaught, Swanlinbar.
The remains of a trapezoidal foundation trench for a building measuring 15.9m north–south by 6m at its southern end, narrowing to 3.5m at the northern end, was found at Site A. A large post-hole was excavated towards the centre of the eastern slot, while smaller post-holes were found all along the trench length, especially near the corners. No dating evidence was recovered from these features.
At Site B a large oval enclosure measuring c. 27.9m north-west to south-east by c. 40.2m enclosed an area of c. 2403m2. This enclosure was defined, for the most part, by a narrow, shallow ditch with an entrance to the north-west. Where bedrock was encountered, no attempt had been made to continue the circuit of the enclosure, leaving an interrupted ditch. Cut antler and metal slag were recovered from the ditch. A number of pits located outside the entranceway produced sherds of Neolithic pottery, including an almost complete round-bottomed undecorated vessel.
Within the enclosure was evidence for a number of structures. In the centre was located a circular ditched feature measuring c. 8m in diameter, probably the remains of a Bronze Age ring-barrow. The construction technique employed here was very similar to that of the larger enclosure, suggesting contemporaneity. Coarse pottery and cremated bone were recovered from this feature. A number of linear gullies were excavated within the enclosure along with a U-shaped structure, a subrectangular structure, an L-shaped slot and a curving arc slot. Half a rotary quern was recovered, along with a heavily fractured flat-bottomed vessel.
The eastern part of the site was defined by an upstanding bank that measured 45.25m in length. This bank had survived by becoming incorporated into the local field system. The associated field drain had mostly obliterated the original external ditch, though traces of it could still be seen in parts.
Three isolated pits of unknown date were excavated at Ext. 1. Five pits produced sherds of cordoned urn pottery in Ext. 2 and Ext. 3 contained a substantial pit of unknown date.
Post-excavation analysis had yet to begin at the time of writing.
