County: Galway Site name: Cloondarone A
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E004062
Author: Liam McKinstry, Headland Archaeology (Ireland) Ltd, Unit 1, Wallingstown Business Park, Little Island, Co. Cork.
Site type: Possible burnt mounds
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 542456m, N 749177m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.489468, -8.867106
Excavation was carried out at Cloondarone A, Co. Galway, in advance of the M17 Galway (Rathmorrissy) to Tuam Archaeological Services Contract (2010) forming part of the N17/N18 Gort to Tuam PPP scheme in County Galway. The Archaeological Services Contract (2010) was commissioned by Galway County Council and funded by the National Roads Authority. Full excavation was undertaken at the site in May 2010.
Cloondarone 1
Excavation revealed an irregular-shaped burnt spread consisting of moderately compact silty clay with moderate amounts of fire-cracked stone and charcoal flecks. The spread measured 4.5m by 2.5m and 0.1m in depth. It was partially overlain by an irregular-shaped spread consisting of compact grey/brown/black silty clay, which measured 0.6m by 0.47m and 0.05m in depth. No troughs or other cut features were associated with the burnt spread.
Cloondarone 2
The natural in this area was overlain by two irregular-shaped naturally occurring deposits. No features or deposits of archaeological significance were uncovered within Cloondarone 2.
Cloondarone 3
Excavation revealed an irregular-shaped burnt spread overlying a natural peat horizon. It consisted of moderately compact dark-brown/black peaty clay with moderate amounts of fire-cracked stone and charcoal flecks. It measured 9m by 8m and 0.24m in depth. No troughs or other cut features were associated with the burnt spread.
Cloondarone 4
Excavation revealed the remains of a trough and a burnt spread within the confines of the site. The trough was located near the western edge of the site. It was subrectangular in plan, measuring 2.86m by 1.2m and 0.39m in depth, with two possible post-holes cut into the base. The first of these in the north-west corner was oval in plan measuring 0.1m by 0.08m and 0.08m in depth. The second post-hole, situated in the north-east corner of the trough, was circular in plan measuring 0.14m in diameter and 0.14m in depth. Both possible post-holes and the base of the trough were filled by light black/grey clay with occasional small fire-cracked stone and charcoal flecks. This was below a deposit of moderately compact dark-grey clay and moderately compact black/grey clay silt with charcoal flecks. Overlying these and filling the upper portion of the trough was a deposit of moderately compact orange clay.
The trough was overlain by an irregular-shaped burnt spread consisting of moderately compact dark-grey/black silt with moderate fire-cracked stones and charcoal flecks. It measured 13m by 7.3m and 0.2m in depth.
Cloondarone 5
Excavation revealed the remains of two possible troughs, a pit and a burnt mound within the confines of the site. Modern activity was recorded in the form of a layer of redeposited natural and a field drain.
A possible large sub-oval trough with gradually sloping sides and a flat base was located in the centre of the site. This measured 3.7m by 3.1m and 0.45m in depth. A subrectangular-shaped cut feature with sharply sloping sides and a flat base was cut into the base of this trough. This measured 0.8m by 0.6m and 0.1m in depth. Two fills were recorded within this possible trough. The primary fill consisted of compact black/brown clayey silt. A deposit of moderately compact dark black/brown peaty clayey silt with fire-cracked stone and charcoal flecks overlay this.
The second trough, which was to the north of the possible trough, was subrectangular in plan, measuring 2.5m by 2m and 0.45m deep. Four fills were recorded within this feature. Its primary fill consisted of moderately compact dark-grey/brown silty clay with frequent amounts of fire-cracked stone, charcoal flecks and wood. The secondary fill consisted of moderately compact grey silty clay with frequent fire-cracked stone and charcoal flecks. The tertiary fill comprised compact black/grey silty clay with occasional charcoal flecks and the final fill of the possible trough was composed of moderately compact black/brown peaty silt.
A pit was located to the south-east of the centrally placed possible trough. It was sub-square in plan, measuring 1.6m by 1.16m and 0.45m deep. Two fills were recorded within this feature. Its lower fill was composed of moderately compact light-grey clay with frequent charcoal flecks and its upper fill consisted of loose brown/black silty clay with small stones.
Overlying all three features was an irregularly shaped burnt mound consisting of moderately compact black/brown peaty silty clay with many fire-cracked stones and charcoal flecks. It measured 16.5m by 13m and 0.2m thick.
Modern activity was recorded as a layer of redeposited natural partially overlaying the burnt mound and the central area of the site, as well as a north-north-west/south-south-east-running linear field drain which truncated the burnt mound, entered the site from the west and ran for c. 9.3m before terminating.