2010:328 - Cloondarone B, Galway

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Galway Site name: Cloondarone B

Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E004063

Author: Liam McKinstry, Headland Archaeology (Ireland) Ltd, Unit 1, Wallingstown Business Park, Little Island, Co. Cork.

Site type: Possible burnt spread, burnt mound and associated features

Period/Dating:

ITM: E 542664m, N 748876m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.486777, -8.863918

Excavation was carried out at Cloondarone B, 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 6
Excavation revealed a trough, a burnt spread and a tree bole within the excavation area.
A subrectangular trough was excavated near the east edge of the site. It measured 1.4m by 1.05m and 0.3m in depth and had straight to undercut sides and a flat to irregular base. The trough contained two fills. The lower fill consisted of compact blue/grey silty sand with occasional charcoal flecks and the upper fill consisted of a deposit of moderately compact black silty peaty clay with moderate charcoal inclusions.
Directly north-west and abutting the edge of the trough was a roughly circular burnt spread of moderately compact black silty peat with small fire-cracked stones and charcoals. It measured 2.3m by 1.57m and 0.08m thick.
Cloondarone 7
Excavation revealed a trough, a burnt mound and three post-medieval field boundaries within the excavation area.
A subrectangular trough was recorded at the centre of the site. It measured 2m by 1.5m and 0.48m in depth and had steep sides and a slightly concave base. Four stake-holes were recorded in each corner of the trough, cutting the base of the feature. These were filled by loose slightly brownish-grey clayey silt with very occasional flecks of charcoal. The decayed and friable remains of waterlogged wooden planks lining the base of the feature presented as very soft wood fragments included within a pale brown to dark-grey/black soil matrix. The primary fill of the trough measured 0.28m in depth and consisted of moderately compact mid-brown/black silty clay with frequent decayed stones, from which some animal bone was recovered. The second fill measured 0.14m in depth and took the form of firm brown peaty silty clay with occasional stone and charcoal. The final fill of the trough measured 0.06m in depth and consisted of firm mid-brown/black silty clay with occasional stone and charcoal.
A burnt mound overlay the trough. It had an irregular shape in plan measuring 12m by 5.5m and 0.18m thick and consisted of moderately compact black silty clay with moderate amounts of charcoal and many heat-shattered stones.
Two linear field boundaries traversed the site cutting into the earlier archaeological components. The first of these which was orientated north–south was composed of two parallel, segmented linear ditches, each containing similar fills consisting of loosely compact brown/black silty clay with frequent roots and occasional medium coarse pebbles. Located between the two ditches were the remains of a bank composed of firm yellow/grey silty clay with occasional roots and medium coarse pebbles. Running perpendicular to the double-ditched field boundary was a third field boundary ditch filled by a deposit of moderate to loose compacted mid- slightly greyish/brown silty clay with frequent medium sub-rounded stones concentrated towards the base.
Cloondarone 8
A tree bole, containing two fills, and a small burnt spread, probably the result of root burning, were recorded. No features of archaeological significance were encountered on this site