County: Galway Site name: Carrownurlaur 1
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 12E0323
Author: Patricia Long
Site type: Burnt mound and archaeological wood
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 537563m, N 765736m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.637694, -8.944147
Excavation was undertaken at Carrownurlaur 1, Co. Galway on 27 August. The works were undertaken prior to the commencement of construction works associated with the N17 Carrownurlaur Bends Realignment Scheme in north Co. Galway.
Previous work includes Stage (i) Test Excavation and Survey Services were carried out between 20 and 25 August 2012 under licence 12E0079 (above No. 262). Stage (i) testing revealed four areas of archaeological interest – Gortnagunned 1 and 2 and Carrownurlaur 1 and 2 (see above No. 262 and below No. 281).
Stage (ii) Pre-Excavation Services (stripping, cleaning and mapping of all areas of archaeological potential identified during test trenching) were carried out during the same period. Stage (ii) Services confirmed the presence of a burnt spread associated with worked wood at Carrownurlaur 1 and a burnt mound at Gortnagunned 2.
A total area of 214m² was exposed in three cuttings at Carrownurlaur 1 for full excavation. The central area centred on a burnt spread thought to be the remains of a levelled burnt mound and pieces of waterlogged worked wood (Cutting A [134m²]). Two further cuttings (Cutting B [56m²] and Cutting C [24m²]) centred on areas where pieces of waterlogged worked wood were identified. The burnt spread revealed was fully excavated and the worked wood was recorded in situ prior to removal and packaging in moist conditions. No other features or finds were found to be present.
Full analysis of the worked wood was carried out by an appropriate specialist. Radiocarbon dates were obtained for a fragment of ash charcoal from the burnt spread and from two of the worked wood samples. Worked wood from Cutting B indicated activity at the site in the early medieval period of cal AD 421-541 (2σ) (SUERC-44185). A charcoal fragment from a sample taken from the burnt spread yielded a date from transition between the end of the early medieval period and start of the late medieval period of cal AD 1040-1214 (2σ) (SUERC-43964). A piece of worked wood from Cutting A yielded a date of cal AD 1029-1157 (2σ) (SUERC-44186) which is from a similar period.
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