2010:347 - Kilskeagh 3, Galway

Excavation was carried out at Kilskeagh 3, 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 June and July 2010. Kilskeagh 3 extended across three separate areas, with Area A, Area B and Area C. While Areas B and C contained only a small number of features, Area A revealed six phases of archaeological activity.
Area A
Phase 1 is represented by a subrectangular pit located towards the eastern limit of the site and was found to contain the upper portion or blade end of a polished stone axehead in very compact grey sandy silt. This phase of activity appears to date to the Neolithic period.
Phase 2 is characterised by the construction of a penannular enclosure with an external diameter of 27.5m east–west by 25m. The entranceway occurred on the south-west side and two pits occurred here. The enclosure ditch was between 3.5m and 7m in width and 0.7m and 1.4m in depth and appeared to truncate the fill of the subrectangular pit. Cut into the base of the enclosure ditch were a number of pits, which appeared to pre-date the basal fills of the ditch. These pits were sub-oval with steep sides and a flattened base filled by loosely compact mid-grey silty clay and rectangular in plan with concave sides and a flattened base filled by moderately compact yellow clay underlying moderately compact grey/brown silty clay, with the latter possibly representing a clay storage pit. A deposit of sterile light-brown to grey silty sandy clay was found covering the entire interior of the enclosure. The depth of this deposit ranged from 0.55m in the centre to 0.23m at the edges and appeared to represent a deliberately placed mound, presumably from upcast of the digging of the enclosure ditch. During this phase, a number of basal and lower deposits appeared to be backfilling the enclosure ditch.
Phase 3 is represented by the clear truncation of the eastern side of the enclosure ditch and its lower fill by a probable trough and may represent Bronze Age activity. This trough had five associated stake-holes located around its eastern half, with a possible contemporary second grouping of stake-holes, cut into the side of the enclosure ditch 3.5m south-west of the trough. A pit, located 8m south-west of the trough, was filled by burnt-mound-like material and may have been contemporary with the trough. A deposit of burnt-mound material backfilled a sizeable proportion of the enclosure ditch on the eastern side and probably resulted from activity associated with the trough. A number of other deposits in the enclosure ditch in the northern, western and southern sides appeared to be contemporary with the activity producing the burnt-mound material.
It is not clear whether a number of backfills of the enclosure ditch represent Phase 3 or Phase 4 activity.
Phase 4 is represented by a number of backfills of the enclosure ditch that clearly post-date the activity producing the burnt-mound material.
Phase 5 appears to represent early medieval activity with the construction of a stone-lined, figure-of-eight kiln. This kiln was located in the interior of the enclosure and truncated the mound material (Phase 2). It was north-west/south-east in orientation and 4.9m in length, 0.64–1.42m in width and 0.32m in depth. The kiln’s flue was stone-lined, while a number of stones, appearing to represent baffle stones, were uncovered near the south-east limit of the stone-lined flue. The kiln had heavy oxidisation near its north-west end and more oxidisation was noted towards the south-east end. A total of sixteen fills were recorded in the kiln.
A pit appearing to be contemporary with the construction of the kiln was cut into the base of the kiln near the north-west corner. This was circular in plan, with steep sides and an irregular base, and measured 0.6m in length, 0.5m in width and 0.25m in depth. It was filled by dark-brown silt with frequent charcoal inclusions.
The south-east end of the kiln had been truncated by a linear feature, although some oxidised clay remained and suggested this end was also oval-shaped.
Towards the south, east and west of Area A were a number of pits, post- and stake-holes which also truncated the mound material. The first pit was subcircular in plan with sloping sides and an undulating base and contained a basal fill of moderately compact red/brown silty clay and a top fill of loosely compacted dark-brown silty clay with frequent inclusions of pebbles and small stones. The second pit was oval in plan with concave sides and a flattened base and contained a basal fill of moderately compacted brown silty clay and an upper fill of loosely compacted grey/brown silt. The third pit was irregular in plan with vertical sides and an uneven base and a single fill consisting of moderately compacted grey/brown silty clay with occasional pebbles. The fourth pit was subcircular in plan with sloping sides and a rounded base and contained a single fill comprising moderately compacted mid-brown silt. These four pits measured between 0.82m by 0.97m and 0.49m by 0.53m in size with depths varying from 0.16m to 0.37m. The first post-hole was subcircular in plan with steeply sloping sides and a flattened base and contained a single fill of moderately compacted yellow/brown silty clay. The second and third post-holes were both circular in plan with steeply sloping sides and undulating bases measuring 0.19m and 0.24m in diameter and 0.11m and 0.24m in depth, respectively. The fills of these two post-holes were identical and consisted of moderately compacted mid-brown silty clay with occasional charcoal inclusions. The stake-holes were all roughly circular in plan with tapering sides and a pointed base and measured between 0.09m and 0.26m in diameter with depths varying from 0.12m to 0.22m. The stake-holes appeared to be contemporary with the kiln.
Phase 6 was represented by a number of linear features appearing to represent plough scars, including the aforementioned linear feature that truncated the kiln.
Area B
This area was located 24m west of Area A and revealed two pits truncated by a linear feature and an area of oxidised natural. The pits were subrectangular in plan with concave sides and an uneven base and oval in plan with sloping sides and an undulating base respectively. The linear feature had concave sides and base and the oxidised natural was subcircular in plan and a mere 0.03m in depth.
Area C
Area C was located 12m north of Area B and contained a deposit and an area of oxidised natural. The deposit of dark-grey/black sandy clay with charcoal inclusions was 0.05m in depth and the area of oxidisation was compact red/black silty clay with a depth of 0.02m.