County: Galway Site name: Caherweelder 7
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E003826
Author: Linda Hegarty, Eachtra Archaeological Projects, The Forge, Innishannon, Co. Cork.
Site type: Burnt mound and bowl furnace
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 544584m, N 716621m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.197148, -8.829342
Phase 2 excavations along the 27.2km of the N18 Oranmore to Gort (Glenbrack to Rathmorrissey) National Road Scheme were commissioned by Galway County Council and the National Roads Authority.
The site was situated on a level plateau on the highest point of a gravel ridge, overlooking low-lying rough pastureland. The area stripped of topsoil measured c. 605m2. The deposit of burnt-mound material measured 7.5m north-east to south-west by 6.25m and varied in depth between 0.1m and 0.2m. A pit measuring 1.9m in length and 1.35m in width was excavated. It is thought to be a conjoined bowl furnace and waste pit, as charcoal, ash and slag were recovered from the pit.
