County: Mayo Site name: Westport Demense 1
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 16E0279
Author: Donald Murphy
Site type: Charcoal-production pits
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 498991m, N 785751m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.811468, -9.533751
During testing of the N59 Barleyhill to Kilmeena Road Project in 2016 three archaeological features comprising large charcoal-filled pits were identified in Westport Demesne townland. The first of these pits was designated Westport Demesne 1 and was excavated under the testing licence. The pit measured 1.6m in width, 2.3m in length and was 0.2m in depth with a flat base. The pit was filled with charcoal suggesting the possibility of it having been a charcoal-production pit. Five pieces of slag were recovered from the fill (F04) of this feature and this may also indicate that it was a small-scale smithing hearth. A sample of the charcoal was identified as oak. A brushwood fragment from the fill returned a date of AD 1150-1300 (90.2%).
Archaeological Consultancy Services Unit, Unit 21 Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co Louth
