County: Westmeath Site name: DALYSTOWN 1 AND 2
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 11E0114
Author: Colum Hardy, TVAS (Ireland) Ltd
Site type: Burnt spreads
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 642502m, N 745204m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.454967, -7.359250
Dalystown 1 and 2 were located on the route of the proposed N52 Road Improvement Scheme, east of the existing N52. The sites are in a field currently under pasture. Although Dalystown 1 and Dalystown 2 were identified as separate sites, owing to their proximity they were excavated simultaneously under a single licence.
Dalystown 1
The burnt mound measured 9.5m east–west by 7.75m and was 0.26m deep. There were patches of additional burnt spread material around the main mound as a result of agricultural disturbance. The mound consisted of loose to medium-compacted black silty clay with frequent inclusions of charcoal and heat-affected stones. Beneath the burnt mound towards its southern perimeter three troughs/pits were recorded.
Trough/pit 1 was circular, with a gradual break of slope on the top and bottom, gradual sides and a flat base. It measured 1.43m north–south by 1.35m by 0.17m deep. It was filled by a loosely compacted black silty clay with frequent occurrences of charcoal and heat-affected stones.
Trough/pit 2 was adjacent to and south-south-east of Trough/pit 1. It was suboval in shape, with a sharp break of slope on the top and bottom and a flat base. It measured 1.52m x 1.22m x 0.028m and had a single fill, consisting of loosely compacted black gravelly clay with frequent inclusions of charcoal and heat-affected stones.
Trough/pit 3 was directly east of Trough/pit 2 and was roughly kidney-shaped, with the eastern side being more curvilinear than the west. It had gradually sloping sides and breaks of slope and an undulating base. It measured 4.15m north–south by 2.6m by 0.35m deep. The primary fill consisted of a loosely compacted black/dark brown clayey silt with frequent inclusions of charcoal and heat-affected stones. A large amount of redeposit/upcast was recorded overlying the fill in the northern half of the trough. This consisted of a very compact light grey sandy clay with occasional charcoal flecks.
Two deposits from this site were dated. The fill of Trough/pit 2 was dated to 3670±31 BP (2139–1954 cal. BC; UBA-19685) and the overlying spread had a contemporary date of 3676±41 BP (2196–1944 cal. BC; UBA-19684). These dates place the site in the Early to Middle Bronze Age.
Dalystown 2
The burnt mound measured 5m north–south by 3.3m by 0.1m deep. It was parallel to the field hedgerow and heavily disturbed by tree roots. The mound consisted of a compact dark brown/black silty clay with inclusions of charcoal and heat-affected small angular stones. A single small pit was recorded under the burnt spread on its western edge.
The pit was suboval, with a sharp break of slope on the top and bottom on the north, west and south and more gradual on the east. It measured 0.84m east–west by 0.63m by 0.33m deep. It was filled by a loosely compacted black silty clay with inclusions of charcoal and heat-affected stones.
The pit fill was dated to 3833±3 BP (2458–2199 cal. BC; UBA-19686), broadly contemporary to or slightly earlier than Dalystown 1.
Ahish, Ballinruan, Crusheen, Co. Clare
