2009:732 - CARROWDOUGH, STRANDHILL, Sligo

Monitoring took place at this development site. There are many middens along this shore, one (SL013–091) partially excavated by Burenhult 500m south of here (#sterholm and #sterholm 1984), where dates in the second and third millennium BC have been recorded, and others (SL013–032) in the sandhills to the west across Culleenamore strand that had been periodically exposed, revealing some late Early Christian-period activity. To the south-east is a barrow, SL013–090, and SL013–088 is a souterrain in a midden, the disturbance of which was investigated by this writer in 1972 on behalf of the National Museum of Ireland.
This is a small seaside site, measuring 45m by 22m. The sea sand from the ground for the replacement sewage system was dug out and this proved to be entirely blown sterile sand. The sod and about 0.3m of sand from within the greater part of the site was removed. A strip of darker sand across the west side of the site may be the result of an earlier and lower sod level.
The next stage was the lowering of a space somewhat greater than the footprint of the house. Several seashells, mainly oyster, were found scattered along the south side. An ?ivory knife handle was found. The sand across the west side was removed and an occasional oyster shell was found here. When this area was again lowered by 0.1m, oyster shells were found in a narrow wavy line right across the site. The western side was then lowered and again more oyster shells were found, though in no particular pattern. In the last part of this lowering, periwinkle and cockleshells were found. With these was found a single piece of willow pattern, clearly dating these shells, at least, to well after 1779, the start of the production of that pattern in England.
The knife handle and piece of Willow pattern suggest a modern date for the shells among the blown sea sands.
Reference
#sterholm, I. and S. 1984 The kitchen middens along
the coast of Ballysadare Bay. In Burenhult 1984,
326–45.