2010:486 - Carrowlisdooaun, Mayo

Pre-development testing was carried out between 30 June and 2 July 2010 at a site at Carrowlisdooaun townland near the village of Ballyglass, Co. Mayo. The proposed development consisted of the construction of a dwelling-house and garage with proprietary effluent treatment system and percolation area along with all necessary site works. Testing was required as a cist (MA100–072) was located within the proposed development site and a barrow (MA100–071) was located adjacent to the western site boundary. The barrow was fully excavated by H. O’Neill Hencken during the Third Harvard Archaeological Expedition in Ireland in June 1934. The excavation revealed one cremated burial, a bronze axe, flint scrapers and pottery sherds. The barrow was reconstructed following the excavation and is still extant, partially overgrown with trees and bushes. Details of the excavation were published in volume LXV of JRSAI, 1935. The cist was examined on 13 April 1933. Details were published in volumes 15 and 16 of JGAHS. It was located under a field wall and had been uncovered c. 80 years previously. Unfortunately neither article documented what happened to the cist, therefore it could still have been in situ, although the field wall had been removed. It would appear to have been located near the east end of the proposed development site, close to the rear of the proposed garage and waste-water treatment system.
The testing consisted of the excavation (by machine) of four trenches located to best cover the development area, which was located within a large field of undulating pastureland. The trenches measured 95.8m, 50.4m, 14.6m and 10.5m long respectively, 0.9–1.3m wide and 0.1–1.05m deep. Below the topsoil was modern fill, orange/brown plastic clay and grey boulder clay (natural subsoils). The topsoil contained a number of sherds of modern pottery and one red-brick fragment. The modern fill contained a red-brick fragment, one sherd of modern pottery and a section of modern metal wire fencing
With the possibility of the cist not being uncovered by the test-trenches, it was decided to strip the topsoil from its most likely location. This area was located near the south-east corner of the proposed development site and measured 20–22.5m long (north–south) and 20m wide. It was stripped to a depth of up to 0.8m. Below the topsoil were two areas of fill, orange/brown plastic clay, orange/grey/brown friable silt loam and grey plastic boulder clay (natural subsoils). The topsoil contained modern pottery sherds and two un-inscribed clay-pipe stems. The first area of fill consisted of 20th-century domestic refuse from an adjacent deserted cottage; e.g. plastics, glass bottles and ashes. The second area of fill consisted of small rocks and contained one large modern pottery sherd.
Testing revealed nothing of archaeological significance.