2015:480 - Garrauncreen, Galway

The N17/N18 Gort to Tuam Road Scheme, which forms part of the Atlantic Road Corridor, consists of 57km of motorway/dual carriageway. The National Roads Authority has procured, by way of PPP, the design, construction, operation and financing of the scheme. This project has been funded by the Irish Government under the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. The Ministerial Directions Number A000045 and Registration Number E004587 were assigned to the scheme for monitoring a total of 29 untested areas.

A green field site in Garrauncreen adjoining the Lands Made Available (LMA) to the west on the route of the N17 N18 Gort to Tuam PPP Scheme was selected by John Sisk and Son (Holdings) Ltd to store topsoil from site works associated with the construction of the new routeway.  Appendix 4 to the approved Method Statement was submitted for permission to test the area of the topsoil tip site adjoining the LMA to the west. Testing of the green field site in Garrauncreen was undertaken in May 2015.

Three small levelled burnt mounds were recorded in the test trenches in the green field site and were subsequently excavated. The burnt mounds were in close proximity to one another on low ground in Garrauncreen at an elevation of c. 50 m OD.

Burnt mound 1 was located c. 120m east of burnt mound 2 (BM2). A third and smaller site was located between the two sites but closer to BM2. The mounds were very small and very shallow and had been truncated in the past and during testing. The cut features associated with burnt mound 1 included a double trough C.12, a pit C.7, three post-holes C.6, C,13 and C.16 and a linear feature, C.9, were located on the slope or edge of a seasonal pond and were cut into a compact white clay subsoil. An Early Bronze Age date of cal BC 1878-1692 (UB-30581) was returned from hazel charcoal from the fill of post-hole C.6 and pit C.7.

The cut features associated with burnt mound 2 were similarly located on the edge of a seasonal pond. The mound itself was shallow and was probably truncated in the past. The deepest section survived on the lower east edge of the pond. Three troughs, a pit, two post-holes and two linear features were grouped on the edge of the seasonal pond. Two radiocarbon dates were obtained from burnt mound 2. An Early Bronze Age date of cal BC 2028-1901 (UB-30582) was returned from hazel charcoal from the basal fill of trough C.10. A second Early Bronze Age date of cal BC 2464-2294 (UB-30583) was returned from hazel charcoal from the basal fill of trough C.21.

Burnt mound 3 comprised a single trough on the north-west edge of a third seasonal pond, located 25m east of burnt mound 2.

Eachtra Archaeological Projects Ltd, Lickybeg, Clashmore, Co Waterford