2016:104 - N5 BALLAGHADERREEN SCRAMOGE ROAD DEVELOPMENT; AH06 Shankill, Roscommon

Stage (i) Standard Archaeological Test Excavations were undertaken at Shankill, Co. Roscommon in December 2015 in order to provide further information as part of the Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed N5 Ballaghaderreen–Scramoge Road Project. A total of 19 machine-assisted test-trenches (730 linear m) and 10 hand-excavated trenches (50 linear m), were excavated within the site (c. 11% of the LMA). Two additional hand-excavated trenches (10 linear m) were located outside the LMA and targeted on a geophysical anomaly (possible rectangular enclosure). A small portion of the site was unavailable for testing due to flooding.

Testing was undertaken adjacent to a church site (RO016-123) and sought to ascertain if there were any subsurface archaeological remains associated with it. No indications for an ecclesiastical enclosure or human burials were recorded. Testing did however confirm the presence of linear features and pits. A sample of pine charcoal collected from one of the linear ditches has been dated to 3708–3637 BC, indicating that this is an early Neolithic feature. A sample of Pomoideae charcoal collected from a pit/hearth has been dated to AD 409–540, indicating that this originated in the early medieval period.