2016:580 - DEERPARK EAST (1), Mayo

A burnt stone spread, F3, measuring 10m by 8m and between 0.3–0.75m in height was identified at Deerpark East 1. The spread was roughly horseshoe-shaped and overlay peat and was also partly covered by peat. A timber trough measuring 1.78m by 0.8m and c. 0.2–0.3m in depth was exposed near the centre of the horseshoe mound. It consisted of several phases with the latest being a wooden trough lined with planks on the west and floored with trimmed straight round timbers replacing an earlier wattle (basket-like) trough. The latter wattle trough was sub-oval in plan measuring 0.9m by 1.4m and survived to a height of 0.27m at the north end and 0.54m at the south end. It was constructed of 34 wattle rods and the base of this trough was lined with small flagstones. This represented the earliest phase of trough construction at this site. A total of 8 soil samples were taken; 4 from the burnt mound and 4 from the trough fills. Radiocarbon analysis of any charcoal present should provide a date range for the use of this site. No finds were recovered from the archaeological features.