2015:145 - KNOCKAPHUNTA, Mayo

Pre-development testing at a site in Knockaphunta townland on the south-west outskirts of Castlebar, County Mayo, was carried out from 14–17 September 2015. The proposed development consisted of the construction of nine detached dwelling houses. The testing was required due to the size of the site. No recorded monuments were located within or in the immediate vicinity of the development site. No archaeological features were visible within the site.

Following the discovery of a burnt spread during the initial testing, Gerry Walsh, Archaeologist, Mayo County Council, recommended that the feature be fully excavated and that a number of extra test trenches be excavated in the vicinity of the feature. The excavation of the further test trenches was carried out on 1 December 2015.

The site was located across three fields of pasture, immediately south of a modern housing development. East of centre within the largest of the three fields was a hollow measuring 10m north-south by 16m and 0.6m deep. Running east-north-east from the east side of the hollow was a low bank up to 1.5m wide and 0.3m high, which disappeared into overgrowth in the north-east corner of the field. Two gables of a ruined roofless dwelling were just visible above the overgrowth in the north-east of the site. The development also extended into a large field to the south of the previous field. This field sloped down to the south, to a marshy rush-covered area.

The initial testing consisted of the excavation (by machine) of fourteen trenches which measured 1.9-2.3m wide and 0.1-0.85m deep.

The first trench was located in the smallest field of the three along the east side of the site and measured 39.1m long. Six further trenches were excavated in the largest of the fields and measured 81.3m, 50.6m, 50m, 50m, 49.9m and 50.1m long respectively. The seven remaining trenches were located in the field to the south. The first of these measured 100m long while the six others measured 14.5-15.1m long.

Below the topsoil in eleven of the fourteen trenches was peat, natural subsoil and bedrock. The topsoil contained modern pottery sherds, modern glass fragments and red brick fragments.

The remains of a mortared rubble wall was visible across two of the trenches at the eastern side of the hollow described above. On either side of the wall was loose fill which contained numerous modern glass fragments. The wall appeared to be evidence of small-scale dumping, perhaps associated with the nearby ruined dwelling in the overgrowth.

The burnt spread (ITM 513654 788992) was found in one of the trenches in the field to the south at the edge of the marshy area. The burnt material consisted of blackened soil with a high concentration of heat-shattered rocks. No charcoal was visible. The feature was visible as high as 0.1m below the surface and extended for 7.2m north north-west/south-south-east. The spread sloped down to the south-south-east and was found directly below topsoil and above natural subsoil.

Five further test trenches (14.8-15.4m long, 1.9-2.3m wide and 0.3-0.55m deep), excavated in the same field to the south, revealed nothing of archaeological significance.

The burnt spread is due to be excavated in the near future.