2008:809 - Aghnaskeagh 4, Louth

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Louth Site name: Aghnaskeagh 4

Sites and Monuments Record No.: LH004–041 Licence number: A002/111; E3796

Author: Jo Ronayne, Archaeological Development Services Ltd, Windsor House, 11 Fairview Strand, Dublin 3

Site type: Court cairn

Period/Dating:

ITM: E 707425m, N 812501m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.050466, -6.359467

A large spread of stones (30m by 25m), interpreted as a collapsed cairn, was identified during the testing of Area 12 in Field 15. It lay to the immediate north of a beech-lined avenue and formed part of LH004–041, a ‘megalithic structure’. The site was known locally as a children’s burial-ground, although no evidence was found for its use as one. The site was located close to the top of a south-south-west-facing slope (62.3m OD). It was situated in the corner of a field immediately north of Aghnaskeagh Road. It is estimated that about 40% of the site lay within the road-take while 60% was outside. This 60% will be preserved in situ. The area was heavily affected by tree root disturbance.
The cairn appeared to be of the double-court type, with a possible court area to the south and a court area to the north, connected by a central gallery. The monument measured c. 37m north–south by 12.5m, had walling partly enclosing the courts and a slightly waisted middle. The area of excavation was confined to most of the northern court, the entrance to the central gallery and the western ‘kerb’ drystone walling.
Once natural grass and wood had been cleared by hand, two layers of small granite stones were found in a semicircular shape. The stones were sitting in a loose dark-grey humic material with frequent moss and roots. After the initial cleanback, the site measured 24m (north-east to south-west) by 11m (max.) Glass, modern pottery, nails and some fragments of burnt bone were found in these layers. Occasionally dispersed between the granite stones were very small angular stone chips. A number of large boulders were noted surrounding the site. These were natural stones, but may have been used to mark the extent of the site.
After the removal of the upper (collapsed cairn) stones, larger and more rounded granite boulders were uncovered sitting in a light to mid-brown silty clay. A paved ‘court’ area of flat angular limestone proved to be a large, consolidated and shallow pit on the northern side of the site. No pre-cairn features were visible after the stones were removed.
The drystone ‘kerb’ wall
The cairn was delineated on its western side by a drystone wall up to 0.5m high (now collapsed) of medium-sized sub-angular and angular greywacke stones. The stones were placed so the flat faces were outermost. In places the outer kerb consisted of two to three courses of flat stones. At regular spaces in the wall were gaps and it is possible that larger uprights stood here. A small upright stone was located at the northern extent of the kerb, while the small Aghnaskeagh Road seems to have disturbed the southern end. Outside the kerb, to the west, a tumble of greywacke stones was found. This appeared to be a collapsed part of the drystone wall ‘face’ of the monument.
An inner line of possible kerbstones was also identified. These stones, that were mostly granite, were more rounded and resembled the stones from the body of the cairn more than the outer more aesthetic kerbstones. The area between the two kerbs consisted of a packing fill and small stones.
Structures
The inner kerb wall may have been used to form the south and west sides of possible structures. Three gaps were identified in the kerb wall; one may have provided an entrance to two possible circular stone features. One of these was very regular (1m by 1m). Towards the north of the site, a possible box-shaped feature appeared to have a back stone and side-stones. It measured 1.8m by 1.33m. Another possible rectangular-shaped feature was located immediately to the south. This measured 1.4m by 0.64m. It is also possible that these ‘structures’ had been sunk into the body of the cairn from above, as seen by similar stone-lined chambers at nearby Carn More (03E0873) in a Bronze Age barrow and the Aghnaskeach ‘cist cairn’, LH004–039.
Northern court with pits and deposits
The northern end of the monument consisted of a court area that was 50% enclosed by the arm of the cairn. The original feature here was a large, roughly circular, irregular, shallow pit (possibly a whole series of intercutting pits) that had been consolidated with stones. In the centre of this consolidation was a circular arrangement of stones suggesting the placement of an object such as an altar or totem. Cutting through the consolidation material three to four cremation pit burials were uncovered, one of which had a small upright marker stone. A number of possible stake-holes were also found. A thumbnail scraper was found in this part of the site. A charcoal layer in this area contained frequent sherds of possible Neolithic pottery. The majority of artefacts were recovered from this court area.
Other features identified appeared to be stone sockets; one in particular seemed to indicate that a large stone had been removed from it. It is likely that this area had been disturbed and stones from the original monument had been removed.
Central gallery
At the collapsed entrance to the central gallery and just inside was a concentration of cremated burial deposits. At least 30 deposits were noted here. It is not clear how many individuals were buried there, but some have been identified as adults. One burial was placed on a thick flat stone, while the others appear to have been placed up against it. A small amount of pottery, quartz and pieces of possible wood were found with the burials. Deliberately placed stones formed a threshold that marked the entrance to the central gallery. The gallery had collapsed and the cremation deposits were mixed but it was clear that they were not all placed on the floor. Some might have been placed in cracks in the collapse and some may have originally been placed in the cairn above the gallery.
Later activity
A line of granite stones was visible west of the kerb orientated east to west. A number of linear features were found, some contained possible medieval pottery. Others appeared to be agricultural plough furrows.
Site 111A and Site 111B
The area south-east of the road (Field 17) was also investigated, where a number of possible features and some large boulders were present. All features present were non archaeological and were a result of bioturbation.
A summary has already been written for Site 111A (Field 17). A burnt spread and a number of linear and pit features were investigated. It is unlikely that any of these features were archaeological. They appeared to be because of modern agricultural field clearance and drainage activities.
Summary
Site 111 was trapezoidal in shape, with its widest end at the north. The cairn measured 21m by 10m at its basal layer and has been identified as a long cairn. It consisted of an outer-faced kerb held in place with packing stones and an inner kerb, which seems to have been used to form possible structures in the monument. Medium to large granite stones were used to construct the cairn. The north-east end appears to have been disturbed. A number of pits and deposits were found there. This area seems to have been covered by additional layers of stone. Most of the prehistoric pottery and flint came from this area. Burial deposits with cremated bone were found as well as a possible hearth feature. Two layers of small granite stones covered the site.
The site displays some characteristics of a court cairn, however it is difficult to be certain without seeing the entire monument. It is clear that this is a significant site. The results of the excavation will add to the existing body of research on megalithic tombs in Co. Louth as well as in Ireland.

Editor’s note: This report arrived too late for inclusion in the bulletin for 2005, when the work took place.