County: Mayo Site name: Aghadrinagh 1
Sites and Monuments Record No.: none Licence number: E004679
Author: Siobhan McNamara
Site type: Early medieval
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 514621m, N 787842m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.833053, -9.297074
One pit (F001) and one hearth (F002) were exposed beneath the sod and topsoil (F011) at a depth of 0.4m. The site had been cut by a number of field drains that provided drainage for the agricultural field of rough grazing. The pit measured 1.2m in length, 0.76m in width and 0.11m in depth and had been filled with a loose black silty clay containing occasional inclusions of charcoal (F004). The possible hearth (F002) measured 1.24m in length, 1.2m in width and 0.12m in depth and had been filled with a compact dark brown – black silty clay containing occasional inclusions of charcoal and oxidized clay (F005).
Two additional features were excavated (F003 & F006), but these proved to be non-archaeological in nature. No other associated features such as post or stake-holes were exposed within the site to suggest the presence of a settlement or transitional site. The pit and possible hearth were found in isolation and possibly represent the location of small-scale charcoal manufacture or land clearance.
A charcoal sample from the site returned a radiocarbon date of 945 +/- 30 BP giving a date range of AD 1025 – AD 1157 indicating that the site is early medieval in date.
Archaeological Consultancy Services Unit, Unit 21 Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co Louth
